


Aim It Right (love is a loaded weapon remix)

by theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Purely Shikamaru and Ino, Shameless Smut, implied!Naruto/Hinata, implied!Neji/Tenten, implied!Sakura/Sasuke, impliedpast!Shikamaru/Temari
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 11:47:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4303791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs/pseuds/theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Shikamaru knows this is a bad decision.</i>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This is a remix of monkkeyslut's Love is A Loaded Weapon.</p><p>Fair warning:<br/><b><i>Do not read if you're a pure ShikaTema fan :) (No bashing, though.)</i></b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friends and More

**Author's Note:**

  * For [monkkeyslut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkkeyslut/gifts).
  * Inspired by [love is a loaded weapon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/871624) by [monkkeyslut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkkeyslut/pseuds/monkkeyslut). 



> I apologize up front but this is the first time I'll ever publicly post smut. I'm not even sure if I'm good at this.

**_“…and stay out!”_** the shrill yell was accompanied by the sound of breaking glass and a man flying out a window and landing on the ground, groaning in pain. If the man hadn’t been a shinobi, he would probably be dead. As it was, he was covered in fast bruises and his nose was bleeding, marring his once handsome features.

 A second later, his missing pants flew crumpled out of the window he’d come from and unto his face. He rubbed his head and any other day, Shikamaru would pity him.

 But today was not that day.

 When the chuunin opened his eye (the other swollen shut with a huge shiner), he backed up quickly from Shikamaru and Chouji who looked at him with straight faces.

 Shin, Shikamaru thought his name was, scrambled to his feet, cheeks red as he realized everyone was staring at him, being tossed in the middle of the road and all, wearing only boxers and an open flak jacket and unbuttoned shirt. A kiss had been planted on his neck but there were too many bruises everywhere and his temple bled with a shallow cut.

His attacker appeared from the broken window he’d went through earlier. A sight of platinum blonde hair, shapely torso and fire in her blue eyes which would make any sensible man soil his own pants.

 ** _“OH! You’re still here?! Chouji, grab that guy!”_** She screeched and Chouji’s lips pursed. So this was the guy she’d taken to seeing lately.

Shin made a run for it after a split second of looking at her two friends, not bothering to even put on pants first.

Needless to say, Shikamaru knew they wouldn’t be seeing him for a very long time.

* * *

 

When the two boys got in Ino’s apartment, Shikamaru clicked his tongue followed by a huge frown. Beside him, Chouji’s face was the same.

The place was a mess of broken glass and furniture. There was a hole in the door that faintly resembled Ino’s fist. He had a good reason to know so, after all. There was barely a trace of the homey apartment they saw last week.

Ino was in her bedroom, getting dressed in civilian clothes. She didn’t speak and Chouji figured it best to start cleaning before she could even command them to. He did let the guy get away. He probably owed her in that twisted woman-mind of hers. Shikamaru thought so too apparently. He did just stand there, hands in his pocket and staring at the beaten up guy.

They wordlessly grabbed brooms and trash bags from the small kitchen and set to work.

As they worked silently, Shikamaru would look up and see Ino, sitting on her bed with her back on the open door. Her shoulders shook in silent sobs and her two friends knew better than get up and console her. Ino was not one for comforting. She hated being the emotional one in their team. Hated she wasn’t a man who did not cry. She thought herself weak because of that. She hid her tears from them and pretended she doesn’t cry or nothing happened when they did catch her one time or another. She would hate them if they tried to talk to her right now. That was probably Sakura’s job and not theirs.

They were almost done when the Yamanaka heiress emerged from her room, red rims covered by mascara and scowling at them like they were the ones that did something wrong.

“Well?” She prompted at their silence, every bit bossy and every bit stubborn as per usual. “I need to go shopping!”

She didn’t need to elaborate that she was shopping to replace the broken things and wanted them to carry it all for her. Shikamaru threw the last piece of what had been a chair into the trash bag and gave her a straight face. He hoped he would be considerate enough to read the plain _no_ in his face.

She glared at him and he sighed inwardly. Of course not. However, this was Ino. Hoping she would ever be considerate of what he felt about things was like asking Hyuuga Neji to crack a joke.

“Can we pick up some food on the way?” Chouji only asked, standing up to his full height as she grabbed her keys and a jacket from the coat hanger.

She murmured an assent without losing the scowl on her face and Chouji grinned.

Shikamaru groaned as they followed her out of the apartment.

He knew that somewhere in him, maybe being a man or being a well-respected shinobi, was the potential to stand his ground. One day when he learned to tap into that potential, his life can become infinitely better. But first, he’d have to learn the habit of effort as that would surely require just that. And sometimes, Shikamaru knew, things just aren’t worth his time or energy to give effort to. In this case, standing up to Ino or his mother might definitely be one of the best examples. He doubted that when he did grow the ability to tell them no, they’d back down easily. So that seemed like a waste of effort as well. And Shikamaru was a Grade A lazy person to even bother wasting energy for a battle already lost. And sometimes, the women in his life scared him more than enemies out to kill him. He was a reasonable man, after all. And being scared of his mother and female friends (with the glowing fists or sharp weapons) was definitely reasonable.

* * *

 

Ino replaced everything she had broken when she had kicked Shin out. She also managed to place everything on his tab. She had her way of gathering information anyhow and damn him if he tried to get out of paying for the broken things. He deserved worse than a beating and paying for the stuff she lost when he told her he needed things to slow down because his other _girl_ didn’t like that he’d spent an entire week in Ino’s bed. Apparently, he thought this was an open relationship due to Ino’s _reputation_.

Ino couldn’t tell if the man was an ass or just plain stupid. Probably the former since he’d been smart enough to become chuunin.

Either way, he better have money on that damned account of his.

Ino was also notorious for punishing ex-boyfriends, civilian or otherwise.

She didn’t bother taking them home right now because she didn’t really want to bother Chouji or Shikamaru any more than she had. She was just thankful for the company.

With the last purchase done, Ino told them to drink with her.

It was too early and truly she didn’t want to go back to her apartment right now. Not when the bastard was in the middle of pushing her over the edge when he informed her he needed to be in someone else’s bed for the next few days. _Honestly, where did all the good men go_ , she thought bitterly.

Chouji insisted on dinner first before drinks so Ino chose _Sojuuro’s_ , they had good food and cheap drinks and Ino was planning on getting hammered tonight. Maybe Shikamaru would like to join her too, since didn’t he and Temari just broke it off again the other month? (What was that, their seventh or eighth try?)

Chouji more or less ate his weight while Shikamaru and Ino drank their fill. Since it _was_ a Saturday night, Shikamaru decided to go past his fifth drink mark and they were well on their seventh round, with Chouji lagging behind at his third as he chose to eat instead.

They talked about everything and nothing, trying to avoid Ino’s recent fourth break up this year. And it wasn’t even June yet. That had to be a touchy subject for her.

Chouji, however, felt the need to confess that he was dating someone right now.

Team 10 had to have the comfiest arrangement ever. Friends from birth, families as close as families could ever be, classmates in the Academy, teammates ever since. They were thicker than thieves. Familiarity was something they had easily. And they didn’t really keep secrets from each other since there was barely any need to. The three knew everything about each other anyway. The dirtiest ones were the cause of unmitigated laughter.

Like Shikamaru’s first encounter of the birds and the bees talk was at five years old when he caught his parents in the den. He’d told an embarrassed Shikaku that he didn’t need to know this until after ten years or so. Ino liked rubbing the fact that he was bad with timing in giving that kind of talk on Shikaku’s face whenever he tried to have the talk with them as all three fathers tended to do that every now and then. (Especially with Ino, since they tried to pretend she was an innocent flower despite her perfect kunoichi missions record.)

Or that Chouji’s first was with a civilian girl back when they were 15 and a very pale faced Iruka-sensei caught them. (Chouji and the girl broke it off cleanly after a year and managed to remain good friends. He seemed to be the lucky one; always managing to keep friends with his ex-girlfriends. Unlike their certain female teammate.)

Or that Ino’s first was with _Kiba_ and it had been monumentally awkward, with both of them not really knowing _how_ despite seeming like they’ve always known. (Of course their female teammate insisted that she has ‘ _improved_ ’ after _that_ and Kiba did seem to have a trail of girls following him around from time to time…)

So Chouji thought that everyone should know, being family and all. And with good reason, too. Anyone Chouji dated was bound to stay for quite a while. Chouji was just the nicest and he always chose well. It also meant that Chouji was telling them that he wasn’t going to be able to spend as much time with them as usual. Chouji was the kind of guy who would do anything he had to so he could spend more time with his lady love. Girls were lucky with Chouji like that.

That alone made Ino finish the whole round as she grabbed Shikamaru’s drink from his loose hold. She gestured to the ever so aware bartender for another round and Shikamaru would be mad to stop her.

Of course she felt happy for Chouji. He deserved to be happy. But she was jealous. Out of all three of them, Chouji was the one most likely to find his happily ever after and she would be lucky to be able to find a guy who would stay for more than three months. She knew well that she had a long list of flaws. And Shikamaru? Well, she was pretty sure when Shikamaru wanted to get married, he would. Probably pick the next girl to cross his line of sight and marry her without another thought if Temari doesn’t change her mind about not wanting kids or getting married. She had no doubt he would be lazy like that and pitied the girl who would marry the ass. She, however, was probably going to grow old and die alone. Oh hurrah.

Chouji was oblivious to the dark muttering coming from the girl and he continued telling them about his new love interest. (Her name was Kizumi and she was a seamstress. Lived nearby Shikamaru and was fond of animals. They met when Chouji and his genin team returned her lost kitten about a month ago and they’ve been seeing each other since.)

Shikamaru was only thankful Ino wasn’t cutting him off and made no outbursts after Chouji finished talking about the girl’s cooking. Ino was always fond of making her point while talking with a lot of exclamation points. But she must be getting really drunk and depressed to be this quiet.

He grabbed a new glass as soon as it had been set down. He also ordered s bottle of something stronger. He should probably stop her soon and the only way not to earn her ire would be to get her drunk really fast. Ino pursed her lips but did not say anything.

They had finished the bottle and just downed it when Sakura appeared.

“Sakuraaaa!” Ino half-yelled and half-sobbed as the medic-nin approached. Chouji gave the future Mrs. Uchiha a smile and Shikamaru managed to give her a clumsy head bob that made him dizzy.

Ino threw herself to Sakura and she caught her easily. The frown in Sakura’s face told them she already knew about Ino’s ex-boyfriend number –teen something.

“Let’s get you home, okay, Ino?” Sakura said soothingly as her friend cried ugly fat tears on her shoulder. Sakura was putting her arms around Ino when Ino pulled back and stumbled.

“N-no!” She cried, wiping her tears unsuccessfully and hiccupping like an overgrown baby. “I don’t want to!”

Ino turned to the boys with pleading eyes. Chouji nodded to Sakura. “That’s fine, we’ll take her home. We’re just about done, anyway.”

Ino smiled at him thankfully but Sakura crossed her arms. “Fine. But I need to talk to you first.”

“What for?”

Sakura made no answer and dragged her whining friend out.

To pass the time, Shikamaru ordered coffee for them all and he talked to Chouji about how troublesome it was to have to proctor the upcoming chuunin exam. They discussed about the possibility of letting their own genin take the exam and both found out that they were going to be holding out this year. The conversation was then steered to the jounin promotions.

* * *

 

 

Ino’s coffee was already cold but the two women hadn’t returned yet. They split the bill and Chouji said he’d take Ino’s for now and they walked out to the unusually hot spring night.

The streets were quiet and empty except for the music coming from _Sojuuro’s_ and the neighboring establishments as well as two figures beneath a lone streetlamp beneath a starry yet moonless sky.

They found Ino crying on the ground with Sakura trying to console her.

She was babbling as she did so and Shikamaru felt like he had never heard her sound so broken before.

“…no matter what I do, I end up with jerks and I give them everything and they just never _stay_.” Ino cried into her hands and Sakura tucked her hair behind her ears. “I mean, what do they want me to _do_? Am I too ugly? Too stupid? Too _blonde_? What do I have to _change_ so they would just goddamn stay! Is it so _hard_ to stay with me?! I’d do _anything_ if I can make _anybody_ stay!”

Shikamaru was no expert on relationships. He’d only had one with Temari and it hadn’t exactly been perfect. But always from the start they made things clear with each other. Shikamaru didn’t like spending energy, time or effort on anything that wasn’t worth doing so. He’d tried with Temari because they did genuinely liked each other. They just had different goals in life and it really wasn’t going to work out no matter how much they tried. He wasn’t an expert in break ups, no matter what others thought.

But he knew that each one ate something from somebody. That someone loses a piece they never get back afterwards.

Ino was a passionate woman at everything. She gave more than her 110% in everything she did. It was why she hated his lack of interest over everything. Often he and Chouji feared she would burn herself out. Leaving a scorch mark behind in their lives that could not be removed. But Ino seemed to keep burning. And she did so too with her relationships. So he knew that each break up tore her. He just didn’t know that it was this _bad_. To think that the fault was actually with _her_ and not these douchebags that she was dating. Ino was not perfect, sure. But any sane man would know that she was one of the best ones out there.

She’d always seem strong. She would get back up and never give up on finding love. He had found it admirable, if not stupid. He couldn’t do it himself if he wanted to. But he didn’t think that she would think they left because she wasn’t _perfect_.

He should have known, really. She’d always obsessed with trying to be perfect. Even then in the Academy. Her only consolation for being second in class was because ‘ _Sasuke-kun could do no wrong_ ’ and _‘of course he would be on top’_. He didn’t have to tell her no one was truly perfect but she always insisted anyway.

He was not ignorant of the fact that Ino was one of the most beautiful girls this end of the Fire Country. Perhaps even throughout the shinobi world. Hell, he’d never admit she’d been a constant part of his pubescent fantasies that left him half-frustrated and desperate and half-disgusted with himself each time. But he grew up with her and he knew better than look at the aspects that left every other boy or man drooling and begging for her attention. She sure was something to look at. Until she opened her mouth, he’d always say. So he knew why men constantly asked her out despite her infamous loud mouth or high nobility or her knowledge in taking out people’s lives. Had he known any better and made work in those kinds of things, he would probably be in line, too.

She was a great person, annoying qualities aside. And he felt angry that some jerks would make her think otherwise. She deserved better.

He gave Chouji a glance and knew that his heavyset friend thought the same. Chouji felt the same towards Ino. It was just that Chouji liked other kinds of girls. Simpler and nicer and quieter girls in the spectrum. But he hadn’t been immune to Ino’s wiles neither. So Chouji had focused on treating Ino as a sister. And big brothers are protective of sisters. Besides, who of them two would want to risk Inoichi’s wrath?

He couldn’t listen to ridiculous shit like that any longer and Ino wouldn’t appreciate being overheard by passersby. She didn’t like it when other people saw her vulnerable, like any actual human being. Something about it just made her feel inadequate and a disappointment. Shikamaru wished he could tell her that everyone else in the world have times when they feel weak too and it’s not shameful. It’s just that. It makes you human.

“Ino,” he called to her. “Time to go.”

She stiffened when he called but immediately wiped her tears and got up.

“I’ll see you later, Sakura.”

* * *

 

 

Ino’s steps swayed and faltered every few steps or so. He wasn’t any better. He knew he was going to have to spend the next day in bed with a huge splitting headache.

Chouji was long gone, having turned towards home on his insistence. He could take her home himself. Her apartment wasn’t that far from his anyhow.

Ino stayed silent as they walked slowly down the dark alleys that led to her apartment. Maybe she was ashamed that he heard her earlier. Maybe she was really drunk. Shikamaru was too drunk to ask. And experience had taught him that asking Ino the words _“what’s wrong?”_ was tantamount to asking for a god awful hour-long rant fest. (Or in this case, maybe a lesson on human psychology.) And friends did that tediousness all the time but Shikamaru couldn’t be bothered to do that now with his stomach wanting to empty itself every few meters he walked. (And she’d probably use a fist to help him with just that if he even asked a stupid question.)

When they did get in front of her building, she stopped and he was about to move on when she called after him in a small voice.

“Shikamaru…”

He turned to her slowly, hands in his pockets, barely seeing straight. But that definitely was Ino with her fingers twisting this way and that together.

“I don’t wanna go home.”

He didn’t answer and she looked up to him, eyes beseeching sympathy. Shikamaru’s face remained impassive.

“Can I stay the night? Please?”

No was the first thing his mind told him.

His bed was large enough for the whole Team 10 and maybe even plus one. He made sure of getting the biggest and comfiest one available at the time. He’d even gone so far as asking for Tenten’s help in sealing it in a scroll because it wasn’t going to fit through his door. It occupied more than half of his whole apartment and barely made space for a dresser and a small coffee table to play shougi or do paperwork at. He didn’t even have any chairs. The vase that his mother gave him had to stay by the door just so his mother would see it when she came over to see if he was still alive (and not buried in his own laundry) and invite him for dinner.

He’s slept with Ino before, sure. They had been teammates and long friends before. But that was back when hormones hadn’t been a problem. When it did, he made sure he had an extra sleeping roll and blanket on every mission they had.

Ino started to pout. Apparently his answer was taking too long. At this rate, he’d need a _very_ long explanation to justify his ‘no’. And even then she would argue for a different answer. It truly wasn’t worth the effort so he shrugged and let her follow him home. He knew he’d regret the decision one way or another.

* * *

He let her have the spare brush he kept for emergencies (which had never crossed his mind to be something like this) and the biggest shirt he owned when she started to discard her clothes without warning. It didn’t do a good job hiding her pale smooth and shapely thighs from his eyes, much to his discomfort. It may not look like it, but Shikamaru was still not immune to his oldest friends’ feminine qualities. He doubted even Chouji had.

She handed him a glass of water when she finished hers and had washed her face clean of makeup.

He found himself staring at the freckles across her nose and it occurred to him he hadn’t seen those since she started wearing makeup. She had been obsessed with getting rid of them for as long as he could remember. She’d been obsessed with removing her physical _‘imperfections’_ since the beginning of time, he supposes. Eager to grow up and show that she was a beautiful woman in the making, Shikamaru had wondered too many a time back when they were genin if she knew what she had been asking for. If she knew what was behind the hungry and greedy stares and what it entailed. He remembered how hard for them all it had been when she was assigned her first kunoichi mission (the first of the entire Konoha 11). Shikamaru knew that behind her cocky smile, she had been afraid. That had been years ago and Ino had grown into a beautiful woman, more than anybody would have guessed. But still he wondered why she kept thinking she needed to be even more.

Before he could even slap himself mentally for such useless and weird thoughts, she had already crawled on the bed near the wall. His face reddened as his alcohol muddled brain finally made sense that the stripes he’d seen was her underwear.

 _Troublesome_ , he thought tiredly.

He shook his head before climbing in after her. Thankfully, he was too tired and sleepy to even think of anything else and closed his eyes.

* * *

 

 

He was right on the edge of comfortable sleep when he heard the sniffles.

He turned to his childhood friend and frowned.

“I-I’m s-sorry, Shika,” she whispered, knowing she’d woken him up. “Go to sleep, I’ll be quiet.”

Things were fuzzy in the dark and the only source of light was the streetlamps outside and even that barely showed anything. The alcohol just slowed everything down but he could make up her trembling form.

Before even thinking about anything else, he reached for her and pulled her close in his arms, burying his face on the crook of her neck. She smelled of lavender and of magnolia blossoms, her favorite flowers.

“You’re perfect, Ino. _Perfect._ ” He murmured against her neck. She became rigid and it took him a few seconds to realize what he’d just said and _shit_.

There was no way to salvage the situation without explaining. Jeez, he really should check if he still had enough brain cells to even be considered smart for all the stupid decisions he made every single day.

Well he was already there so whatever.

 “You don’t need to change for anybody, Ino,” he told her quietly.  “You just have to find the person who wouldn’t care who you are and just accept you as is.”

 

 _Maybe she’d fallen asleep? Please make her fall asleep_ , he wished to no one in particular.

 She turned to him and even without light outside his apartment, he felt like he could see all the specks of darker blue in her ocean eyes, the pink of her lips and the red around the rims of her eyes. His breath caught. Damn, she really was beautiful. He would never deny that but he would never admit it to her out loud.

 _You’re such a pansy, Shikamaru,_ he thought embarrassingly to himself.

For all Shikamaru’s experience in thinking five to fifteen steps ahead of almost anything, he would never expect her response. Not even if he lived to be a hundred years old.

“I’ll probably have to marry you or Chouji, then, huh?” She said softly and he didn’t even have time to process anything before she kissed him.

Ino’s hands fisted on his shirt and pulled him closer to her. She kissed him earnestly. Shikamaru’s mind instantly conjured warnings to stop her, there were drums that sounded like the war drums they had been drilled to recognize back in their Academy days, and a voice that screamed why he shouldn’t. But Shikamaru didn’t know for the life of him why he didn’t listen and actually kissed her back.

For the next few months, he will try to convince himself it had been the alcohol and nothing more.

Because the alcohol won as it chased the thoughts and warnings away as soon as Ino sucked on his lower lip gently. It might have been him or her that groaned but he definitely will remember that he was the one who grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger and slipped his tongue past her _soft_ lips and into her warm and sweet mouth. The taste left his mouth feeling dry and he thought, as he probed her mouth with his tongue, kissing her would quench the thirst he was suddenly feeling.

She tasted of his toothpaste and some aftertaste of the alcohol and of something sweet that was entirely very and could only be _Ino_. Her tongue was velvet against his and he found himself twisting towards her to deepen the kiss with her under him. Her hand snakes through his scalp and made him shiver while the other rests on the small of his back. His one hand cupped her cheek to him and the other felt the curves of her waist and hips over the shirt he had lent her.

The slow clash of lips and tongue and teeth made their blood boil in a steady pace. He didn’t know about her but his heart was calm and beat strongly. As if everything was entirely natural. The alcohol just fueled that fire in their bloodstreams and Shikamaru almost felt like this was right and there was definitely nothing wrong with him touching her bare skin and _Ino_ squeezing his bottom.

They pulled apart but he could still feel her warm pants on his cheeks, smelling slightly of booze mixed with his minty toothpaste and it smelled _great_ and could almost see the smile on her face as she leaned back to kiss him, pushing him back down to the bed with one hand and climbing atop him like they’d done this millions of times before.

Her chest against his was enough to make him lose control. Her rubbing herself on him, running her soft small hands over him was just asking for it.

 _“Ino,”_ he breathed out against her lips and she chuckled in a way he had never heard before and was perhaps reserved for lovers in her bed with its seducing and saccharinesound.

 _“Shika-kun,”_ she teased with an impish smile as she felt him hardening against her. He growled and groaned as she ran lips across his jaw and neck then sucking there and chewing on his earlobe in slow repetitive motions that drove him shuddering under her touch.

He closed his eyes and his hands landed on a well-rounded ass, barely even noting that her shirt had scrunched up and he had his hands squeezing on soft yet firm flesh and flimsy underwear. She giggled on his ear as she felt his chest rumble with a growl.

What the hell were they doing? The warning bells that had been ringing earlier rang wildly in his head as Ino pulled back and sat her warm core over his ( _shit, she was wet)_ and raised her arms as she removed his shirt and the bra. He swallowed and tried to think past the alcohol and the red alert signs in his confused brain. But then she rubbed herself over him with a quiet sigh that he would recognize anywhere as pleasure and then pressed herself against his full body and kissed his lips raw. There was impatience on her kisses now and he could easily relate to it with tongues searching for some release from the tension and finding purchase in the depths of each other’s mouths.

He could feel hardened nipples poking him and immediately one hand felt for her left breast. A random thought came to him as he realized that her bra had to have been having a hard time restraining such perfect globes. His mouth watered as he wondered how she would taste and sound if he let his lips do as he pleased with those breasts of hers. He flipped over her and did just that. And _goddammit_ if she didn’t just make the best sound he’d ever heard in his life.

Her hands fisted on his hair that had been free of the usual pony he sported and pulled as he sucked gently and let his tongue flick over the tight bud a few times before sucking harder. He clasped his hand on the other breast and squeezed greedily. The moans she made heat go straight down to his length.

“ ** _Oh, Shika_** … _Y-yes… **Ohhhh** …_”

The way she said his name had never sounded so right before and spurred him on as he dove and feasted on her other unsatisfied breast. He kept one hand kneading the unattended one with thumb and forefinger twisting and flicking from time to time. He let the other hand direct her hips into grinding on his.

He sucked one last time and let go with a _pop_ and kissed her on the mouth again.

 _“K-Kami, Ino…”_ he breathlessly groaned against her lips as she arched her hips against his again. “ _Hnnn…”_

_“Shika… P-please…”_

His overactive mind tried to reason with him again for the last time and she moaned in frustration, directing his hands over her underwear. His mind froze, even the logical part, as he felt her hook his thumbs over the scanty thing and pull it down. She raised her legs to help him get them off and they were gone somewhere in the floor below.

Again, Shikamaru’s breathing caught, hands on her bare hips. He buried his face on her breasts, licking and nipping gently before muttering against the generous helping of soft skin. “Ino, a-are you…”

“ _KAMI, SHIKA!_ ” she hissed in exasperation and pulled him to bed, kissing him senseless and then just swiping his boxers from him before he could react, leaving them tangled in one ankle. She seated herself there on top of him and hummed contentedly. He swallowed and shut his eyes tightly as he felt her _grinding_ her most private part on him.

_Holy mother fucking…_

She was plenty wet and warm against him, her folds enveloping his cock as she moved steadily on him and they moaned together. His hands made purchase on her hips once more and engaged on making her encase herself on him slower but harder. The friction was driving him insane and he definitely wanted to be inside her. A part of him refused to, until she did it herself, though. There are times when Shikamaru truly hated his mental prowess for making his life more difficult than it had to be.

She kissed him again as she furiously moved over him, trying to get some release from the tension coiling down there. Her lips parted, breathing out in sharp pants and moaning soft _ooh_ s. She knew he would feel amazing inside her even with just feeling his overall length and girth. A part of her wondered how come they were just doing this now but she pushed those away as she guided him inside her with a slender hand too soft for a kunoichi’s.

In one swift movement, he was inside her, panting and mind utterly free from thoughts of nothing but how warm, slick, soft, tight and perfect she felt around him.

Shikamaru’s eyes shut as he tried to stop hissing from the feeling of having himself deep inside _Ino_. It felt fucking great. She was hot, slick and close-fitting around him, like she was clamping around him, even if he thought it impossible. Ino was no virgin and he knew she’d gone around. It wasn’t exactly a big secret. He tried not to think of that because he felt some sort of discomfort that was definitely not anything positive. He dispersed the thought and tried to enjoy _this_.

The good thing was, it wasn’t hard work at all.

His throat caught with as she started to move. He opened his eyes and found Ino with eyes locked tight and lips parted, a pleasurable moan escaping from her. Her hands had formed fists against his chest and she shivered.

 _“Shika,”_ she mumbled breathlessly.

She was panting against his lips as well and was still adjusting to the feeling of _fullness_ when his hands gripped tighter on her hips ordering her quietly to move.

She did and he groaned deeper this time. She moved slowly, strokes long and sure, hands on his chest to support herself. His hands moved to her bosom and molded them against his rough hands and it felt _oh so right_ and she gasped. He flicked his thumbs over the hardened nipples and rolled them between fingers, eliciting wondrous sounds from the woman over him and he _thought_ she just became even tighter around him. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he panted out heatedly.

_“Ino, oh kami, Ino…”_

She raised her hips slowly, sending both parties sighing and then crashed upon his hips. He hissed and his hands became rougher over her breasts, which she loved. She repeated the motion until a steady rhythm was created.

Beads of sweat formed in Shikamaru’s forehead as he felt her clamping on him and he thrust his hips upward to meet her own, if not with more power. She gasped and they kept this pace for minutes until Ino saw white spots dancing in her eyes and the coil in her belly tightening some more. She wanted to go over and go over _now_.

 _“Hnnn, Shik’maru…_ I’m… I’m s-so… close already! _”_ She informed him between pants and he smirked, thrusting harder and deeper than he had before and she squealed. The sound made Shikamaru feel as if he was on top of the world, being able to please such a woman did wonders to his ego and he would be fucking livid if he didn’t make sure she walked away from this completely wrecked and satisfied.

The steady sound of wet skin slapping against wet skin and heavy breathing and moans of pleasure filled the room, spurring the two into reaching the heights of ecstasy faster together.

“Then cum, Ino,” he whispered hotly and breathlessly. “Cum all over my cock…”

She bit her lower lip with a whimpering cry and she stopped moving as he thrust himself faster and more forcefully inside her, hands on her waist to keep her steady, making her bounce with her breasts following suit.

It had to be one of the most wonderful sights Shikamaru would ever see in his life. Ino panting above him, breast bouncing erotically, the sight of his length slamming in her and the absolutely pleasurable moans she made with each strong pump.

She was becoming tighter around him and he felt like he was being strangled below. Shikamaru was sure if he kept this up, he was going to reach is end as well. He didn’t want that. He still wanted more of her. He didn’t want it to end so quickly.

He lifted his back off the bed and pressed her against him, an arm keeping her close as he pumped himself inside her quivering warm pussy. He drank her moans over the new spots he was hitting inside her by clamping his mouth over hers, tongue probing deep within.

 _“Shit,”_ she gasped out, arms wrapping around his neck and breathing on his ear. _“Oh Shik’maru, yes!”_

He reached for her clit with the free hand and rubbed circles over the sensitive bud. She started writhing against him and she pulled her head back with a scream. He stopped impaling himself within her and watched her and resolved not to follow her own orgasm as she did her best to squeeze his milk from him and envelop his hard rod with her warm liquid release. He kept his thumb rubbing slow circles over her clit to help her ride out her orgasm and within a few minutes, she was a mess on him, proof of her pleasure seeping from her taut hole to his balls and to the sheets.

“Oh _Shika_ ,” she whispered hoarsely in his ear and he smirked proudly to himself as she laid butterfly kisses all over his face.

But he wasn’t really done yet.

He laid her to bed quick and raised both legs over one shoulder, kissing and running his hand over smooth thighs that were enough to make a man’s nose bleed at one glance. She purred as she felt another different kind of fullness in this position. He held her legs with one arm against him and leaned forward, licking and biting gently on her breasts, making her moan louder. He thrust himself once and she sighed out loud and kissed his throat, making him want to do all sorts of deliciously wicked things on her. But he leaned back and kept his free hand kneading on a perfect breast and started pumping himself in wild abandon inside her.

With her recent orgasm only a few moments ago, Ino felt ever more sensitive and the coil in her belly started to tighten once more. She called to him over and over, not sure if she wanted him to stop or pound her useless into the next year. With his forceful thrusts, she could barely make words and had to resort to syllables after each wonderful pounding.

_“Shi-KA! OH! SHIII-KAAA! OHH! Y-YES! P-please, oh GODS, **YES!** SHI-KA-MA-RUUUU!”_

Her muscles convulsed around him again and Shikamaru knew he was past holding it in. He roared a guttural cry and frantically bucked his hips as fast and hard as he could with her pussy fastening around him, milking him for all his worth until he exploded with another cry and bucked himself to the hilt into her one last time as he filled her in as deep as he could. His seed coating her walls and mixing with her own fluids and overflowing after quite a number of spurts to settle on the sheets.

He pulled out of her and collapsed beside the completely satisfied and sore woman. She hummed tiredly as he wrapped an arm over her, pulling her close and burying his nose in her hair.

They did not speak and soon she was asleep, the emotions and alcohol and activities of the day taking their toll on her.

Shikamaru was just about to follow her example when he remembered an old and forgotten memory.

Maybe it was the way her thigh pressed against him or her warm embrace in her sleep. He didn’t know. But it kept him awake for almost half the night.

* * *

 

 

_When they are six, Ino says, “Let’s get married, Shika.”_

_He sighs and closes his eyes, blocking the sunlight from his eyes with a forearm._

_“You’re too bossy,” he replies simply, ignoring her when she thumps him in the leg._

_He thinks she might lie down next to him, that or her thigh is pressed up right against his arm._

_They are silent for a very long time and then, “What if nobody else will marry me, Shika?”_

_Her voice is small and so unlike her that Shikamaru opens his eyes and turns to her. A few meters away their parents are talking and Chouji is getting sunscreen slathered across his face._

_When he looks at Ino her eyebrows are furrowed and she looks upset, like his statement really hurt her._

So troublesome _,_ _he thinks, pressing his finger against the furrow in her brow to smooth them out._

_Her eyes snap open and she gives him a_ _look._

_Exhaling loudly, he turns on his back and stares back at the clouds. “ **Fine.** I guess I’ll marry you.”_

_“Oh. **Oh!** Yay!” She sits up and leans back down to hug him quickly._

_Shikamaru pretends that the heat on his cheeks is sunburn._


	2. Arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And sometimes he doubted if were ever a real genius._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I love you all.

When Shikamaru finally comes to, the apartment is empty and there was no evidence that Ino had ever been there except for the slight mess in his sheets, a few strands of  long blonde hair in the pillow beside his and the slight smell of sex in the air.

 

With one swift glance outside, he was sure it was just about noon.

 

His head ached and he sat up, taking note that underneath the comforter and other than his shirt, he was stark naked, dispelling the possibility that last night was just one of his old teen fantasies come back to haunt him.

 

_Shit_.

 

Panic rose in his chest as he tried to think of something logical but everything was a blur of images and _emotions_ that he couldn’t make a coherent line of thought without feeling like throwing up.

 

He had sex with Ino. He had _sex_ with Ino.

 

  ** _Sex with Yamanaka Ino_.**

 

He groaned and would have slapped himself silly if the head ache he was already experiencing didn’t already seem like a horde of horses had trampled over him.

 

What would Ino say?! Would she tell anyone else? Would she tell Chouji? If he does, their parents will know. What if his mother finds out? He groaned at the thought of Nara Yoshino strangling him to death. If he does die, he hopes Asuma-sensei isn’t waiting for him. His old sensei wouldn’t give his spirit rest in whatever kind of afterlife there would be. He doubted his body would find rest as it tried to decompose because he was sure that his parents wouldn’t be able to stop (or even try stopping) Yamanaka Inoichi from mutilating his lifeless body.

 

He stood up and stumbled to his bath, making sure the water was as hot as it could get, barely even wincing as it hit his skin. He stood under the water cursing himself for letting her come to his apartment last night. He really needed to work on that initiative and gumption thing.

 

He tried to wash himself clean but guilt and shame had stuck on him overnight. At least he would smell clean, he had thought sourly.

 

He wished to all the gods that could or might have existed that he wouldn’t see the woman today. He wouldn’t be ready for any sort of confrontation. Maybe ever. He contemplated the pros and cons of retiring and living the remaining days of his life in a far off land alone. Somewhere like Wave. Yeah, he could live like a hermit and stay in peace for the rest of his life. No responsibilities, no overbearing mothers or blonde ex-teammates that made the sexiest noises when he---

 

He yelped and scolded himself when he hit himself too hard.

 

He also slipped on his way out.

 

This was not going to be a good day for Shikamaru.

* * *

Shikamaru wasn’t sure if he should be worried or not and that made him suffer through a lasting headache for a few more days.

 

He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Ino anywhere for more than a week already. Not within a three mile radius of wherever he was. He didn’t bother asking anyone, too, since they might mention in passing that he was _looking_ for her. He couldn’t have that. Ino might start thinking thoughts at the speed of a hundred miles per hour and end up with thoughts Shikamaru would rather never appear in that pretty little helium-filled head of hers.

 

And truth be told, he didn’t even know what to tell her when they did come face to face. He knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid that forever. Their families were too close. One way or another, they would have to _have_ that talk. But right now he was just thankful he couldn’t sense her familiar chakra presence anywhere he went.

 

He was beginning to finally lose the tight tension between his neck and shoulders when he did see her.

 

He was walking along the street with hands in pockets, thinking of why his mother suddenly wanted him over. He feverishly hoped it wasn’t about Ino. That would be a lengthy discussion wherein he might end up in the hospital. He had a lot to do for Kakashi this week and he was well behind his paperwork already. He blamed the busty blonde ex-teammate for that as well.

 

The Yamanaka heiress had taken to invading his thoughts every now and then, distracting him from the real tasks at hand that needed his full attention. And there was that stupid memory of him saying he would marry her playing over and over his head. That was so troublesome. Of all times to remember such _childish_ and _infinitely stupid_ promises he’d made throughout his young life, that memory would surface. What if Ino remembered _that_ too? He scowled to himself, face hot.

 

And then there was that statement right before she kissed him.

 

He had been drunk but he sure as hell knew he heard her clearly.

 

_“I’ll probably have to marry you or Chouji, then, huh?”_

 

The memory made him uncomfortable from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes. He’d taken to doing more cloud watching the past few days just to catch a break from his over thinking brain. He was sure that if he didn’t, his brain would fry out. It caused a dangerously high pile of papers to form at home and at work.

 

Another day of this and Shikamaru was sure he would be buried alive underneath it like how he had buried the sadistic Jashin worshipper years ago. It wasn’t a fate he wanted for himself. He always wished to die in his sleep. Quick and effortless. No suffering. Being born heir though had prevented him from not signing in to the shinobi life wherein such deaths were almost unheard of. His genius had only made his life harder. He wished the Nara clan had lethargy alone and died out of it.

 

He sighed to himself and frowned. His mother would beat him in the head with a pan for such thoughts. Truth be told, if Nara Shikaku had married another Nara or not chosen to have Yoshino as his bride and had the oaths with Yamanaka and Akimichi, the clan would probably have long fallen to disarray. Nara Shikaku and his son’s laziness was proving to be quite legendary inside their family and that was certainly saying something.

 

The oath had given their family a path, a goal in life that must be upheld as long as the three clans lived. But truly it was Yoshino’s actions that kept everything in the Nara clan running smoothly. Any Nara who wasn’t her son or husband worked their asses off when she was around. She had a scary reputation like that. Shikaku could care any less. Yoshino would always yell at him; had she married her to be his secretary? Sadly, the men in her own roof had to be reminded every time before they actually lifted a finger or anything.

 

He was thinking of grabbing lunch before heading to his childhood home so he could escape his mother quickly when he saw Ino. Or heard her, rather.

 

He looked up from the ground and saw about five shops ahead the familiar statuesque beauty.

 

She looked annoyed as she scolded her three genin for being late. She was telling them that they would have to pay for her lunch as punishment. He pitied the three as they groaned. Looks like they knew she ate almost as much as any Akimichi when her emotions ran high. Which was probably every day, he thought with a small smile. Sometimes Ino can be amusing. How her goldfish brain forgets everything when delicious food is laid in front of her and then afterwards she remembers she’s on one or another of her ridiculous diets.

 

He wondered if he should say something to her. But then what? And she was with her students. And would they really want to talk about that? He found the crick of his neck tightening again in suspense.

 

He had to follow her lead, then. Shikamaru hated being confused. And he’d rather leave the decisions to her. She started it when she kissed _him._ What was he so worried about anyway? This was her choice. And besides, if she wanted to talk to him about anything, she would come storming in wherever he is like she always did. She was a tornado like that.

 

So he walked straight on, deciding to let her make the move. He thought he wasn’t going to notice him by the time that she did finally notice him coming their way.

 

Shikamaru had relied on his eyes in battle for everything and the let his brain do the rest. His eyes always saw everything. Ino had always accused him of never paying enough attention on anything. She was quite wrong.

 

He saw the way her whole posture tensed, back straight as ever and her eyes steeled over as he approached closer. Her fists clenched at her sides and she no longer paid any attention to the complaints of her young students. Sweat had immediately appeared on her temples and her lips hardened into a tighter line. He saw a slight dent in her cheek; the telltale sign that she was once again biting her cheek unconsciously. Her feet had parted slightly, a stance made almost as if in battle, but easy to misread if you hadn’t spent years training with her.

 

The decision had been made.

 

Shikamaru looked forward and went past them without a word or even the tiniest of acknowledgments. He knew she knew that he had ignored her on purpose. But that had been her decision and her showing him the exit door. So why did he feel like he’d suddenly made one of the biggest mistakes in his life?

 

Shikamaru always chided himself for overthinking simple things. He did it again. That was that. Ino had decided.

 

He told himself that he should really hurry before Kakashi summoned him again. His mom would get pissed if he couldn’t show up as planned.

* * *

Two nights after that, Shikamaru was home doing what he hated most. Paperwork.

 

He was stumped with just how many Kakashi keeps making him do. Somehow he was convinced that the papers he finds in his desk every day were decoys and he made the young Nara to take home the real ones. He swore that before Naruto died or passed on the position, he would commit _seppuku_. No way was he donning that stupid hat and suffer drowning through countless of scrolls for the rest of his life. Let someone else be hokage. Lee probably wouldn’t mind the challenge.

 

He rubbed a bleary eye and took a swig of beer before poring over the scroll with the treaty with Amegakure.

 

It was well past midnight and the words of the Cryptology report he was studying were jumping out of the page when he thought he’d heard a knock on his door.

 

He looked up, brows furrowed in confusion. Who would want him this late? Even Kakashi avoided working this late and made the dullest excuses to get away as soon as it was nine in the evening though he always stayed as late as eleven because that’s usually when Shizune gets real annoyed of his blabbing.

 

There was another knock and Shikamaru tossed the scroll back to the desk and got off his bed. He rubbed his face and grunted tiredly, “coming, I’m coming.”

 

He was careful not to knock over the small coffee table with the stack of papers and grabbed himself a new bottle of beer before opening the door.

 

He caught a flustered Ino looking like she was ready to make a run for it. He blinked as she stood on the balls of her feet and rocked forward.

 

“It’s cold out here, gonna let me in?” She asked with forced sharpness. She wasn’t looking him in the eye now. He blinked again and stood aside to let her in.

 

When he turned back to her after closing the door, he found her sitting at the small kitchen counter, hands gripping the tiles as she looked at his unattended work.

 

“Kakashi-sensei doesn’t pay you overtime, doesn’t he?” She asked as she pointed at the accursed pile with a finger.

 

“No,” he grunted, opening the cap of the bottle and taking a huge swig. “You want a bottle?”

 

She nods and he reaches the fridge just beside her and he gets a bottle for her. He didn’t have one of those flavored beers she liked. He and Chouji preferred those microbrews. She took it anyway.

 

“What are you doing here, Ino?” he asked after the long silence of them finishing the bottle. Shikamaru thinks this was the longest silence she’d ever made at him. Even when she was angry or gave him the cold shoulder, she would always yell at him for being quiet and for not apologizing to her immediately, instead of preferring silence.

 

He glanced at her from his periphery from where he’d leaned back on the fridge and she was absently tearing the label off the bottle with a nail and a thumb. She opened her mouth but failed to say anything and closed it again. The innocent label was slowly being torn to unrecognizable shreds.

 

He pursed his lips and finished his bottle. He didn’t know what to say either. He doubted anyone would know how to start a conversation after having drunken sex with one of their oldest friends.

 

He was probably going crazy but he wouldn’t mind if Ino started yelling at him right now. Anything to bring back the old familiarity and ease in their friendship. They couldn’t keep avoiding each other forever, after all.

 

“Thank you for letting me stay the other night,” she finally managed to say quietly. He looked at her and she looked up to him. A faint blush stained her face. “And… I’m sorry. It was my fault. I was drunk and…”

 

She didn’t continue and he cleared his throat because his mouth suddenly felt dry.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” he mumbled, looking everywhere but at her. “I didn’t exactly stop you.”

 

After a few quiet seconds, a small smile crept into her face, a small shadow of the old Ino. “Yeah, you didn’t seem forced into it…”

 

He blushed and she smirked, regaining her old confidence and sadistic demeanor. She snickered, “You wanted it too, didn’t you?”

 

He scowled at her accusingly. “Excuse me, but you were the one who kissed me!”

 

She grinned impishly and dropped from the counter, leaving the empty bottle there and she crossed her arms. “I knew you wanted me for the longest time.”

 

She even winked. She was just pushing his buttons. And of course it was working. Ino never failed to be successful on that account. Sometimes she was better at it than his own mother.

 

Shikamaru’s face felt hot. The nerve of this troublesome woman! Someone ought to knock her down a few notches and see how she enjoys that. Ino just laughed at him and he growled at her. “Hey, if I recall, you were the one who started taking off clothes!”

 

This time she went red but didn’t lose that annoying smile. She was enjoying his discomfort too much. What a twisted woman.

 

“You liked it!” She retorted and stuck her tongue out. The sight of it made Shikamaru feel hotter. That tongue had been delicious against his as far as he could remember. He shook off his head at the thought.

 

“Well so did you!”

 

“So what if I did?” She scowled, face as red as a tomato and Shikamaru’s mouth hung open in shock. “I liked it! Big fucking whoop!”

 

He honestly had no response to that as his face became crimson.

 

She pushed him aside roughly and took another bottle from the fridge. She drank half of that and looked at him pointedly, challenging him to say something. Anything.

 

Shikamaru just looked away and sighed, murmuring, “how troublesome.”

* * *

They spent the next few hours drinking as Shikamaru tried to do as much work as he could. She sat on the opposite side of the bed, drinking and babbling about how stressful work had been lately and how annoying being a jounin-sensei was that she barely has time for anything. Besides being a genin team leader, Ino was also handling shifts in the hospital as well as lending time to the Interrogation and Intelligence Division with Ibiko and her father. Then she had to help run the flower shop whenever her help was needed. Ino was always a hard-worker. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t a whiny complainer when it came down to it. She talked about the flower shop and the unusually high orders for jasmines this time of the year. She talked about their friends and how Sakura was probably going to get engaged to Sasuke real soon since she  _was_ already pregnant and just wouldn’t say it to anybody and Sauske being Sasuke probably still doesn’t know it. She also rambled about Naruto and Hinata probably going to follow after soon, what with Naruto never liking to lose against his lifelong best friend and rival. Even if it meant reviving his own Uzumaki clan. Something he’d never really thought about before. She babbled on and on about various things that left Shikamaru heady when he tried to actually  _listen_ . She didn’t really need him to respond anyway so he settled on letting his subconscious do the actual hearing. They were like that. So long as he made the slightest reaction that he was listening or still paying attention and understood, she was agreeable. He was just glad everything was falling back into place the way it should.

 

“Hey, Shikamaru, why’d you and Temari break up this time?” She suddenly asked and he looked up distractedly from the codes he was translating. How’d they get to this topic now?

 

“Huh?”

 

“Why did you and Miss Sandy broke up again?” She repeated, words pretty slurred. She’d had one too many again. “How many times have you guys tried again? Six? She still doesn’t want kids? That’s kinda selfish and why wouldn’t you wanna have kids?”

 

“Eight,” he murmured distractedly and went back to his work.

 

No, Temari didn’t want to get married or have kids or live in Konoha. She didn’t want to leave home or her brothers. She was their mother enough. She didn’t need to have more. She didn’t want to be tied down as a housewife or a kunoichi who only took convenient missions. She wanted to serve, protect, defend and die in or for Suna.

 

Among other things, anyway.

 

_He knows things won’t work out with Temari the last time he sees her._

_Or, rather, when she spots him at the Flower Shop, arguing with Ino about something childish._

_She tells him later that night while they walk around the village, inches away from each other, that it’s hard to compete with something that’s so blatantly obvious. It’s hard to compete with something that looks like it’s been written in the stars._

_Shikamaru scoffs, calls her ridiculous, but doesn’t deny any insinuation about he and Ino. He knows his feelings for her; he has for a very long time. Though he doesn’t know **exactly** what they are. It’s too troublesome to think about and he’s not ready for something like that with Ino. Being with Temari was hard enough and they had such convenient arrangements. Ino was complicated. He didn’t want to touch that with a ten foot pole. He liked to have an easy life, thank you very much._

_If he hadn’t really been enough for Temari, he wouldn’t even try to bother with someone like **Ino**._

_Temari gives him a knowing smile and they part as friends, and that is that._

 

Ino looks at her friend curiously and she sniffs and stays quiet for a while.

 

Shikamaru thinks she has fallen asleep when Ino suddenly speaks up.

 

“Hey, Shika,” She began. Before he could look at her or ask what she wanted, she continues. “Let’s have sex again.”

 

Shikamaru nearly spits his drink on sensitive scrolls. At best, the drink sputters out to his chin and clothes.

 

He turns to glare at her and ask _what the fuck have you been drinking_ when he realizes she was closer than expected.

 

He leaned away as she comes closer, their faces red and she looks at him excitedly like a kid on Christmas.

 

“C’mon, Shika. I just meant sex. Like, working stress out. We’re single and free. Just having fun. We had fun, right? Nothing serious. No attachments. I’m going to use your body for sex and you can do whatever you want with mine. We’ll cut it off anytime we want!”

 

Shikamaru’s mind was far too shocked to respond. Ino was offering him to have sex with her. Like, friends with benefits. Fuck buddies was what they called it, right? At least that’s what Kiba called his lay friends. Like, real actual sex again. Anytime. No strings attached. The world was crazier than he’d previously thought.

 

“C’mon, Shika,” she smiled seductively, making Shikamaru’s blood rush down. She went on all fours and leaned close to his face. He couldn’t pull away or he’ll end up falling to the floor. He’d hit his head on the coffee table before that and possibly suffer massive brain damage first, though. “You were great. You want it too. It’s a perfect arrangement. We can make rules if you want. We’ll stop if you don’t have fun. If you miraculously get a girlfriend, I’ll back off and everything. You can’t say it isn’t a brilliant proposition.”

 

It _was_ brilliant. And stupid. And crazy. And fucking tempting.

 

You only had to look once at Yamanaka Ino and know right the fuck away how stupid it would be to reject the offer.

 

But he wasn’t just any man.

 

He swallowed as he watched her eyes close and she leaned ever so closer and her lips touched his. He closed his eyes and let her kiss him, running her tongue and nipping softly and then he was on his feet, knocking the table and its contents.

 

“Shit!” he barely managed to save the ink from ruining anything and he frantically tried to pick everything up and cursing steadily under his breath.

 

He breathed out long sigh once he managed to salvage everything and he rubbed his face with both hands before turning to Ino to set her straight. This was the beer talking, he’d tell her. And then he’d kick her out and never let him in his place alone _ever_ again.

 

But he was speechless and frozen as he found Ino standing naked in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his jaw and neck. She pressed herself against him, beautifully erect nipples poking through his shirt.

 

“Take off those pants right now,” she whispered against his ear in a low undertone that made him even harder than he had already been. Sometimes, he was just a simple man. Being shinobi didn't make him God. Didn't put him above to certain needs and wants. He was that, just a man. And sometimes he doubted if were ever a real genius.

 

“I-I-Ino…”

 

“Hm,” she mused, pulling back and letting him have a full view of her flawless body. Ino took well care of her skin. Any scar she’d had, she healed as best as she could, even if medic-nin vowed not to heal things like shallow cuts and bruises as their chakra were to be used for much more serious injuries. Of course Ino would risk that. How else would her victims think she was just another girl in the street and not a battle-hardened kunoichi, she would defend herself. Temari had been a right. Ino was just something else. His mouth ran dry again. “Looks like you’ll need me to convince you.”

 

His pants and boxers were off before he could make sense to that and she already had her soft hand on him, smiling sweetly.

 

“Hello,” she told it and he swallowed thickly, hands shaking and frozen. Heat coiled in his belly as he watched her lick her lips, eyes locked on his manhood. She giggled a bit and smiled widely. “I missed you.”

 

He hissed as she ran her hand up and down in firm and sensual strokes, the other hand squeezing his testicles in a way that had him shuddering.

 

“Shika, it likes me!” Ino’s voice was like a child’s on Christmas. She was always teasing him. He would be mad. He _should_ be mad. Or something. But she gave him one testy lick and he felt like his joints disappeared all over.

 

_It loves you_ , he thought with gritted teeth and locked jaw.

 

Ino licked her lips before she ran the tip of her tongue over the entire length. He shivered.

 

“Are you cold?” She teased. “You’ll be warm in just a bit.”

 

Her voice was filled with promise and then she was licking his whole length eagerly, making slurping noises as she went. She pulled back and pumped him a few times and grinned.

 

“Shika, you’re getting so _hard_...” She giggled and sighed. “Can’t wait ‘til you’re in me again… But first…”

 

She flicked her tongue over his tip, sucked on the tip hungrily and then he was in her mouth just like that.

 

With her hand at the base of his cock, she bobbed her head up and down expertly, running her tongue under it as she did so, leaving him gasping for quick breaths.

 

She moved in a brisk face and his hands gathered at her shoulder and the other, wrapping her ponytail in his hand and pulling her, making her moan. She took more and more of him in her mouth and he hissed her name. Her lips brushed her knuckles and she gave him a sultry moan, his cock encased in vibrating muscles and he felt himself twitch.

 

She moved faster and lower, sucking and licking firmly, making him buck into her.

 

“Shit, Ino, I’m gonna cum in your mouth if you…”

 

She pretended to not hear him and kept at her pace, groaning around it lovingly, pleased with his own groans.

 

Something snapped in him. He wasn’t gonna let her dominate him. She was fucking crazy. And fucking _hot_.

 

He grabbed her head and started pumping himself into her mouth. She held herself with one hand on his leg and then used the other to squeeze gently on his balls, eliciting a strangled gasp from her friend.

 

Shikamaru had lost it and plundered her talented mouth and felt himself getting closer to his end with each deep plunge.

 

He hammered up in her twice, thrice and he felt the first squirt rise and she sucked deep and moaned long and low. He exploded in her mouth with a growl and he kept her head there.

 

“Fuck!” He cursed as he felt her try to swallow his seed down thickly and enjoyed the choked sounds she made. “Take it! Take all of it! Shit! Don’t you stop!”

 

Once he was done, he pulled back out of her dirty lips and she wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and licked her lips.

 

“What say you, Shika?” She smirked, a devious glint in her eyes.

 

He wasted no time taking off his shirt, pulling her up on her feet and pushing her to bed. He pushed her down on her stomach with her legs hanging at the edge of the bed and then he pushed back the coffee table so he could kneel. Without warning he blew on her moist folds and ran a long hard lick over her lower lips.

 

She gasped and moaned, thrusting her hips towards his face and fisting on his soft hair.

 

He pressed his tongue on her clit and sucked. Ino exhaled loudly. He then started on a rhythm of long, teasing licks and sucking. He lapped up the juices that she gave in arousal. Shikamaru moaned at her taste against his lips, making her shiver. He nuzzled her with his nose, not caring if her juices were a mess in his nose lips and chin and blew gently again. She croaked out his name desperately and he chuckled.

 

“This’ll teach you to tease me like that.”

 

She only moaned her response in frustration. He used two fingers to split her lips and his tongue darted inside her, teasing and licking, driving her wild with need. Her hips bucked fruitlessly, wanting to be filled, but Shikamaru had other plans. His free thumb pressed and drew small rotating circles on her clit as he lapped her up. She was so _close_.

 

She was gushing within moments and the stain in Shikamaru’s sheet was becoming larger and he inserted one long finger in her, drawing a gasp. It was his turn to tease her.

 

“Ino, you’re all worked up and tight,” he cooed. “How can I relieve that stress?”

 

He curled his finger as if calling unto her, rubbing just the right spots inside her and she screamed as he sucked on her clit and pumped his finger inside her slowly. “You like that huh?”

 

She sat up in anger, face flushed, a sheen layer of sweat glistening on her body, “Shikamaru, I swear if you don’t---“

 

Shikamaru pushed her down with a free hand on her breast and kneaded and teased the hard nipple and he sucked harder, inserting another long finger in her and she cried.

 

“Oh, kami, _please,_ Shikamaru!”

 

That’s better.

 

“Please what?” He asked dumbly and let his tongue flick on the clit a few times and his fingers slow to a stop.

 

**_“SHIKAMARU!”_ **

 

“Always so _bossy_ ,” he sighed and went back to pumping her and sucking and licking. She did taste quite good. He could do it for hours. But then she’ll find a way to retaliate and he probably won’t like it. So he set about to pumping faster, her walls clenching his fingers tightly and soon his hand was drenched in her juices.

 

“Cum, Ino,” he whispered huskily. “Cum for me, Ino.”

 

She trashed her head side to side and bucked her hips against his hand. He grazed his teeth on his clit and gave a hard suck and she fell over the edge, clutching his hair and screaming her name. She convulsed around his fingers and he lapped up as much as he could.

 

She panted and moaned when he pulled back his fingers and sucked one and he hummed in approval, voice hoarse with desire. “You taste amazing. I want more, Ino.”

 

Her cheeks were red and she glared at him. She took the hand and sucked hard on it, making him shiver with how her tongue wrapped around the finger and licked her own taste clean off his hand.

 

_Shit_ , he thought, his erection painful and in need of her warm core.

 

He climbed over her and sucked on her neck rough enough to leave a mark as he clasped both hands on her beautiful breasts.

 

“You want this, Ino?” He asked, nipping on her shoulder. “You want my cock in your tight wet pussy?”

 

She nodded weakly as she drew in shallow and quick breaths.

 

He wanted to hear it. To hear this beautiful woman, one of the best kunoichi in the land, begging for him.

 

“You want me?”

 

“Yes, Shik’maru… in me…” She mewled as he started sucking on her hard nipples like a hungry infant.

 

She reached for his shaft and flick a thumb repeatedly over the swollen bulbous tip and he groaned against her skin.

 

“I want you _now_ , Shika!” She demanded with a squeeze. Shikamaru chuckled weakly and sucked on her other breast, leaving angry red marks on pale but flushed skin in his wake.

 

She huffed and impatiently rolled him over. _“I said now!”_

 

“So difficult all the time,” he murmured as she climbed over him. He admired her body and smirked. A body that attested to her profession. Plenty curvaceous and yet toned. Not one fat on this one. Muscles rippling underneath his touch, a show of abs here and strong slender milky thighs. He looked back up to Ino’s face and his breath almost caught. Eyes dark hooded, plump lips panting out desire, wondrous hair splayed across the bed. And hell, she wanted him. Who wouldn’t be fucking turned on by that?

 

He grabbed her hips and deposited her back on the bed, earning an angry ‘Shika’.

 

He didn’t answer and instead made her turn to her side and clench her thighs together. She got the message and kept still as he positioned his tip on her entrance, rubbing through the wet folds with his tip.

 

“So wet for me,” he managed to croak out. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the bed and entered her in one ramming motion. Both of them moaning at the act.

 

Shikamaru pressed soft kisses over her face as he made circle motions with his hips, producing gasps.

 

After a while, he released her, holding her thighs and ass as he pulled out slowly. She whimpered and he rammed himself back in.

 

“Want my cock?” he asked, pulling in and out in the same manner with each word. “Well, take it. Take. All. Of. It!”

 

She started to scream out his named and clawing for purchase at the sheets.

 

Who cares about the neighbors, Shikamaru thought smugly. He’d put up with their noises over the years. And they were nothing as wonderful as the sounds the woman beneath him made.

 

“Still want more?” He enunciated each word with slow but hard strokes and she nodded. “You like getting your pussy pounded like this, don’t you?”

 

She only moaned and he thrust himself in her to the hilt and flipped her to her stomach while still deep inside. The motion caused her to cry out in pleasure and he placed one hand on her back.

 

“Stay there,” he ordered. He then kneaded both ass cheeks and grinned. Maybe this will work. Ino was beautiful and had the body that was every man’s dream girl. She propositioned this. Maybe she’ll actually keep a straight head about this. He’d gotten a taste and he wasn’t sure he was ready to give it up just like that.

 

He pulled out of her and then he was moving, pounding into her as fast and hard as he could, making her teeth rattle at the sheer fierceness of it. She moaned incoherently as he drove repeatedly into her, burying himself to the hilt with every thrust. His hands spread the jostling cheeks apart, allowing himself to see her pretty little pussy spread open as his cock slammed in and out of her. It was such a turn on and he drank in the sight. His hard pole was glistening with her juices, drenched with her liquid desire as he shoved into her mercilessly.

 

“Damn, Ino,” he laughed breathlessly as the sounds of their activity became louder. “You like having your pussy stuffed? You like hearing me talk dirty while I pound your pretty pussy sore?”

 

She only moaned again and this time he pulled her hips up, slowing down his thrust as she got on all fours, thighs closed together. Her rear raised in the air like that was just fucking perfect. He raised one leg over to her side and started stroking her slow inside. As soon as she was able to support her body with her arms and legs, she felt hands make their way onto the sides of her hips to hold her firmly. With no warning, he withdrew his hard shaft quickly, only to return a split-second later with equal enthusiasm.

 

“You like being fucked this way?”

 

She whimpered and looked back at him. She never did think Shikamaru would be dominating in bed. She thought she’d have to boss him around even in bed. Which didn’t matter to her. He seemed like he would perform. She was wrong. A dominating Shikamaru was such a turn on. Ino could feel herself clench whenever he took charge and spoke filth. And it _was_ just arousing to see the look of carnal hunger in his face.

 

“Shikamaru,” she called and his face softened a bit. “Shika, make me cum…”

 

He then grinned wickedly. “That’s why we’re here, baby. Gonna fuck you sore and then I’m gonna cum all over deep inside your tight pussy. Dirty you up, yeah? You want that, don’t you?”

 

And _ugh_ that dirty mouth! She was going to truly enjoy this if he said yes. He better say yes. Can’t he see how good this feels?

 

Shikamaru returned his attention to burying himself in her and groaned loudly and pushed deeper than before, as deep as he could go. His breath caught and he knew how close he was. His movements tonight were far less reserved than they were last week. Hungrier, even. He didn't give her any real time to adjust to the position before he started driving himself forcefully into her, drilling into Ino hard and fast.

 

“Ah!” Ino’s sharp gasp mixed with the loud slap of his hips meeting her ass. Her arms collapsed and her face met the pillows with a thud. Her knees would have collapsed as well had Shikamaru’s support not been present. She felt minute spasms deep within her after that particularly delicious thrust and she knew then that the next one would push her over the edge. Sure enough, when Shikamaru withdrew from her and thrust back in, the new position created by her upper body lying flat on the bed and his balls slapping over her clit caused her to scream as another climax washed over her quivering form.

 

He let her rest for a bit as he resumed a leisurely slow pace, her trembling hole insatiably sucking him deep. He didn’t want to finish yet but he would have to soon. And he wanted Ino to have another orgasm with him as he hit his end.

 

Shikamaru pulled her up again so that this time, she was sitting on his lap. His left hand left her hip and snaked around her waist to reach its destination at the firm globe of her right breast, all the while not losing his steady slow rhythm. He molded the globe with his palm, playing with the areola and hard nipple with the tips of his fingers. He earned satisfied sighs from the woman.

 

“I’m gonna cum inside you, Ino,” he warned. “And I want you to cum right along with me, alright?”

 

She shivered and smiled. Who’s demanding now? But even if he didn’t she would easily go over the edge right with him. She was sure. Her body was still trying to recover from the last high and he wasn’t letting her. This would be easy.

 

With his left arm supporting her weight and massaging her right breast, his right hand also left her hip, gliding towards her center and right at her swollen bud. His thrusts began to pick up speed and he began playing with the sensitive bit of hardened flesh in his right hand, pinching softly and rubbing as Ino writhed in labored breath. Her right hand found its way to his hair. She turned her face to the right so she could see a glimpse of his determined and pleasured face as he continued stab himself into her, her legs bouncing right along with is rhythm.

 

Their gazes met and Shikamaru smirked. She laughed breathlessly and kissed him. The kiss only made her meet his thrusts. He was getting harder and felt ever more swollen inside her. He was close and so was she. Practiced muscles gave him a squeeze when he rubbed her clit and sent bolts down from her navel to the tips of her toes, making them curl.

 

_“Hnnn, Shika_!”

 

He growled and bit her shoulder and started bucking his hips in a frantic rough pace. It wasn’t a minute before she screamed her release and he let go and came deep inside her.

 

“Shit, shit, shit,” he groaned in her ear.

* * *

 

A warm body was pressed against his back and snuggled closer.

 

Shikamaru’s eyes snapped open and he noted the pale thigh and long slender arm on him.

 

Yup, that was a naked woman with a generous bust pressed against him. Immediately he felt himself harden against that leg. Shoot, not right now. Sometimes being a man is such a troublesome affair.

 

“Mmm, Shikamaru?” The woman drawled and his suspicions were confirmed. It was Ino.

 

Before he could even begin his panic she turned him to her and laid herself over him, naked body and all.

 

Seriously not helping.

 

She mumbled contentedly in his ear, “I take it this is a yes?”

 

Then last night’s senseless proposal came back to him. Shit, he hadn’t said yes but because of last night, she probably thinks he’s agreeing.

 

“I know what you’re thinking, Shikamaru,” she mumbled sleepily. Her smile was soft and all knowing. “You say no all you want but your body will just betray you.”

 

She was right. The damn hard on wasn’t going to go down any time soon. Not with her pressed up against him like that.

 

He was still dazed with the alcohol and the sex and the sudden waking up but his mind was already giving him a full list of how to disagree. Ino, however had made up her mind. He told himself everything will be easier if he agreed. And it wasn’t like she was the only one getting the benefits out of this.

 

“If I gave you a good morning blow job, will you fuck me in the shower later?” she asked with a yawn as if this kind of conversation was nothing out of the ordinary.

 

Shikamaru grimaced.

* * *

Ino had a perfect record in her kunoichi missions and Shikamaru found out firsthand just how that was once more that morning. This time, there was no alcohol to stop him from remembering all the best details.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love, feedback and suggestions are much appreciated!


	3. What's Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“And Chouji, I would have let you join.”_

Shikamaru frowned as Sakura inspected on his youngest genin, Haruka, on his injury. It was nothing serious, really, just a normal dislocated shoulder from falling but Shikamaru would rather take the boy here than having to explain to the boy’s mother what he made the children who just graduated four months ago do. The boy was from a civilian family so they know very well yet don’t actually fully understand what being a shinobi actually truly entailed. It was one of the pains of coming from a civilian family, but the boy seemed fully determined to become a shinobi. Shikamaru respected that. The boy had more drive in him than Shikamaru would ever find in himself for half his life. So here they were. Sakura assured him that the boy would be as good as new before dinnertime. He didn’t doubt it. If she could heal Uchiha out of that sickness that killed his brother, this would be easy.

 

Sakura had _tsk_ -ed as she worked on the feeble-mannered boy who felt the need to constantly apologize for being a bother. The tsk was actually directed for the team leader _(who makes 12-year-old genin race around treetops for five hours as training anyways?)_ but the boy thought it was for him and Sakura and long ago stopped trying to tell him not to. Shikamaru had to admit, the growing belly and that look on her face suited her, like Sakura was meant to become a mother instead of a kunoichi or one of the greatest medic-nin to grace the earth.

 

Maybe some women were like that; to be meant for motherhood. He knew his mother had been a jounin before having him but he couldn’t see her that way. Sure, she’d taught him some techniques and he’d seen her train some days but Shikamaru couldn’t imagine her with her vest and hitai-itae. When he did, the image didn’t settle well. Nara Yoshino seemed to be first and foremost only a mother in his eyes. Vaguely he tried to not think of a certain blond woman that was quickly trying to push her way in the forefront of his mind.

 

Shikamaru looked away from Sakura, sure that more thoughts about it would make him lose his mind. Shikamaru decided he could go now but instead Sakura grabbed his jounin vest with the free hand who wasn’t treating the genin.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” She scowled in a face that was so familiar to him that he already felt sorry for the growing baby inside her. “There’s paperwork for you to be done! I’m not doing that for you like last time!”

 

Shikamaru didn’t bother hiding the groan that would have made his mother hit him in the head and Sakura gave him a meaningful look. Mothers. _Seriously_. Their don’t-mess-with-me faces never failed to make him cringe.

 

“Fine, fine! You’re such a troublesome woman as always…” Shikamaru huffed. Once more Haruka apologized for the inconvenience and both jounin waved him off. 

* * *

 

 

When Sakura finally dismissed the young genin, she turned to Shikamaru. He was still filling up the last few pages of the accident report, to assure ay of the higher-ups concerned that it was nothing life threatening or a career destructive injury. Konoha was very detailed when it came to reports like these and it was so troublesome. The newly wedded Uchiha Sakura smiled at him when he scowled on the check boxes.

 

“Looks like you’re doing well with being a jounin sensei, eh, Shikamaru-kun?”

 

He grunted and scratched his chin with the tip of the pen as he pondered absently on which box to tick. “If I had a minute of sleep for each troublesome thing they did, I’d never have to get up ever again.”

 

“Everything’s troublesome for you, Shikamaru.” She pointed out as she cleared her things away. She was heading home soon, Sasuke should be home from his meeting with Kakashi already. Would probably be a new mission and she wasn’t wasting any second away from him. And he apparently gives the best foot rubs.

 

“My point exactly,” he murmured quietly. He swears he could hear Sakura’s laugh. He spared her a glance and saw her washing her hands and then checking the reports of the people she needed to see before heading out. “How’s the children’s hospital coming along?”

 

“We’re doing very well, thanks for asking,” she smiled absently. “Kakashi-sensei, er, Hokage-sama is really supportive of the project. I’ve had Hinata and Ino coming along every now and then to help out. They love Hinata especially.”

 

Shikamaru made an ambiguously thoughtful sound. Now if the Hyuuga were just as easily swayed as innocent children were, that would cause few less problem for him in the future. With the rate of Hinata and Naruto’s relationship, a baby or a wedding was surely on its way. Either way that meant that the Hyuuga family issues would more or less pile up in the Hokage’s in tray more often. And it’s not like Naruto can handle everything that came his way. He was probably going to do everything for him. _Ugh._ Besides, within clan matters, Shikamaru had some experience, though the Nara clan was way more easygoing than Hinata’s.

 

Hinata was surely going to become a great matriarch one day. But if she was surrounded by old, crabby, close-minded elders, it would be troublesome for everyone involved for sure. Naruto would insist on helping out and he’ll surely ask for _his_ help. Sometimes, being able to think several steps forward was a pure pain.

 

“Shikamaru, I’d been meaning to ask…”

 

As if he had a sixth sense for trouble (which he technically _had_ , being ninja and all), Shikamaru felt a lightning struck him.

 

_Uh-oh_.

 

Shikamaru tried to look ever so casual as he looked up and forced himself not to break the pen in two with how tense he felt.

 

“I know Chouji’s dating this new girl and he’s busy all the time with his own team and clan duties,” Sakura continued as she ticked off some things on her clipboard. Her tone was unpremeditated and hinted at nothing but Shikamaru felt beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. His hands felt clammy all of a sudden. _Ino_. “I haven’t been seeing Ino out much lately and she says she’s been staying in and I was wondering… Do you know if she’s seeing someone new?”

 

Shikamaru always tried not to get on the woman’s bad side. He’d seen her destroy and level practically anything with her fists and he would never want to be on its receiving end. He certainly never wanted to even _imagine_ how it felt, given that Ino normal hits were strong enough to land him in the hospital (it was _once_ but it was never going to happen again, he told himself reassuringly.) Being surrounded by women much like his mother (with fists that could kill) made him extra cautious with how he handled situations with them involved. He wasn’t a strategist for nothing. But at that moment, Shikamaru felt like she’d just used chakra-infused fists to knock the breath out of him. His mouth felt parched and he couldn’t spill a word out.

 

_Smooth, Shikamaru. Real smooth_ , he cussed at himself inwardly. It was funny how shinobi life was. Life in the village felt like being actual regular people. For shinobi, none of the boys of Rookie 9 could ever be good liars to their peers. Lee didn’t lie, so he was safe. And Neji was apparently a very smooth liar albeit easily flustered by his wife, or so Ino said, having only heard from Tenten. All that training go out the window.

 

Sakura finally looked up and narrowed her eyes at him, making him wish he could leave without her having to follow him. She looked like she meant business. He actually hadn’t thought about what to tell people if he was asked about Ino. He had hoped working in the Hokage’s office would make them think he didn’t have too much time in his hands to actually see friends. Because truthfully, he didn’t _have_ the time for himself. That’s why this thing with Ino was actually convenient.

 

“Or has she been trying to cook again? I distinctly remember her buying new cookbooks a few months ago…”

 

He was saved for now. It was no secret to anybody that Ino wasn’t the best cook around. In fact, it was probably the only domestic thing that Shikamaru can do that she cannot. Not that he could really _cook_. But he had more sense than eat dangerous concoctions. That’s this world had takeout and fast food, right? Ino, the fighter that she was, never gave up on learning. She had her phases wherein she would buy cookbooks in bulk and spend weeks at a time doing nothing but cook in her free time. The results were a little less than edible but Ino never lost hope. Normally, Shikamaru (and even Chouji) kept well away whenever she got in her cooking spell. She wasn’t a bad baker, though.

 

“Well… yeah, actually.” Shikamaru said as lethargically as he could manage under duress of stress. “She made me try some sort of ragout the other day…”

 

Sakura frowned as she saw Shikamaru cringed visibly. It wasn’t a total lie. Ino _had_ been cooking again. And unfortunately for him, since they were together almost every night and Chouji was always with his new girlfriend, he was the only taste tester around.

 

Sakura’s face darkened and she visibly flinched like she’d been confronted with a decaying and rotten rat. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll appreciate it if you don’t mention me for the next few weeks if you see her.”

 

Shikamaru simply nodded. Deep inside, he thanked Kami for Ino’s incapability to cook a simple sunny-side up egg.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed in relief and started his way home, walking as leisurely as he could. He made a small stop as he remembered to pick up some take out from _Ichiraku’s_. Ino was never going to be as great at the old man but she might get some ideas how not to burn noodles. It was really a wonder Ino passed her kunoichi classes when she could barely make a decent meal.

 

Ino was going to be working late in the hospital tonight so he took the liberty of eating before her as usual and finishing up some work.

 

He found the routine a bit comforting, as crazy as it sounds.

 

It was late into the night when he started to yawn and decided to have a hot bath before bed. It looked like Ino wasn’t coming anytime soon.

 

He was standing under the hot shower, rinsing away the soap suds, when he heard his front door open. Ino-Shika-Cho always had each other’s’ spare key. Not one of them felt the need to knock when coming over. Sometimes it could be troublesome, the way Ino would just barge in without a word. It had all put them in what could have been awkward situations but Ino was just shameless and they had learned long ago to just follow her lead. It was easier to just do so. And Shikamaru was all for making things easier.

 

Within two minutes, the bath door opened and an equally naked Ino stepped under the water with him quietly.

 

Shikamaru watched as the water ran over her, making her hair dark as it stuck to her creamy skin. Rivulets trickled down her exposed back and down her lovely wide hips and further. He watched ever more silently as her tensed shoulders slumped and as she craned her neck to greet the water with her beautiful face, eyes closed, long lashes fighting against the force of the water. Watched as the water slowly washed away traces of that makeup he grew to hate as days and weeks of their arrangement passed. He watched the curve of that long slender neck and the water as it ran down the slope of her chest and the valley between her breasts. He watched.

 

The sigh that escaped her lips was all Shikamaru needed to know that it had been a long day for his friend.

 

He knew what she needed. Wasn’t that the arrangement? It had been going on for quite some time now that Shikamaru knew what she needed when she needed it. Time to return last night’s favor, he supposed.

 

She turned to him, for him to see her beautiful self, and looked at him with tired, beautiful turquoise eyes.

 

He wordlessly reached for the water knobs and turned it off. He took shampoo and lathered his hands and washed her hair, reveling in the way her eyes closed as he massaged her scalp with long, sure fingers. Her lips parted with a short low sigh that pooled in his belly. Washing Ino down was something meditative and at the same time the most intimate and arousing thing that Shikamaru had ever done in his life. Ino’s reactions during a bath brought a pleasure to both of them that can’t seem to be matched by any kind of _activity_ they did. Of course, shower sex was always a close second.

 

Soon, Shikamaru made her turn around. He took her soap (it made her smell like lilac, he noted. But he liked her natural smell better, a sweet, hot smell that invaded his senses when he took her as his) and a soft towel to wash her body. He started off with her neck and shoulders. Gently and soothingly, he let his hands relax her body, making her hum in response.

 

It never ceased to amaze him how her body sang and moved when he touched her. It made him feel powerful and it made him want to learn how to play her body, to make it come alive and undone. He kept trying to discover the hidden secrets of every nook and cranny. The rich secrets of each touch on each part of his hands brought to her. He couldn’t believe that hands that have killed mercilessly, that took countless lives since the age of twelve, could bring someone this wonderful flourishing in delight.

 

As he reached her lower body, she leaned her back to his chest, one hand on the shower wall and one holding herself steady on his nape.

 

“Shikamaru…” She weakly protested.

 

“Shh,” he whispered hotly on her ear, rubbing circles and swirls down below with one hand while the other ran up and down her sides repeatedly, cupping her breast and hip on either end as he hands reached them. “I’m just getting you all clean… You’re so wound up and tense, Ino. You gotta relax…”

 

She smirked those naturally plump and pretty pink lips and breathily answered, “if you keep me relaxed all the time then I wouldn’t have to come back here, do I?”

 

Shikamaru smirked back and placed a kiss on her cheek, careful to avoid the soap, and let his fingers work faster. “I’m sure you’ll find yourself knocking down my door for more _therapy sessions_.”

 

She laughed demurely, teasing him. “You sound so _suuure!_ ”

 

The last word came out as a breathless gasp in surprise as Shikamaru washed his hand quick and let two fingers probe her deeply.

 

“I merely make observations, Ino,” he reminded her as she bit her lower lip in a way that made him lose his mind, moving her hips against his hand for more friction. He grabbed one free breast and rolled the pebbled nipple between is fingers. “And you surely _sound_ like a begging _pussy_.”

 

Ino ground her teeth and made no more reply as Shikamaru’s fingers worked her up. Moments later, a sharp gasp rebounded in the small confined bathroom as she came undone.

 

Shikamaru felt shivers run down his spine and pressed his manhood between her butt cheeks.

 

“Time for a rinse,” he announced as he got the water running again. She made a satisfied humming sound and he squeezed her thighs with both hands.

 

* * *

The bed springs creaked and protested loudly as Ino rode Shikamaru with all her might.

 

She was so close…

 

Shikamaru had hands grasping on her legs hard enough to mark. She’d complain after and nag him but he knew she loved it as much as he did, this out of control need to satisfy themselves on each other. Their need to reach the highest peaks of ecstasy was overwhelming and could only be reached together. Shikamaru could do little but grit his teeth as he thrust his hips up more forcefully to meet her in the rhythm she had created for them. He hissed involuntarily each time she came down on him.

 

_Damn_ , he thought. _I’m close!_

 

He looked at Ino and almost lost it right there.

 

She was the perfect picture of absolute erogenous desires that Shikamaru was sure that even Jiraiya himself had never been able to see in his travels around the world.

 

Ino had her body tilted back to meet him deeper, both hands playing with her own breasts, mouth hung open as she gasped for each breath, eyes closed tightly with a generous blush spread across her cheeks. She panted and groaned every now and then as she relished their joining, the feel of his cock inside her wet and warm woman core.

 

She leaned forward and captured his lips with hers. She let her tongue dart in his mouth, wanting to taste him some _more_. She wanted everything he had to offer. She wanted so much more.

 

“Shikamaru!” She cried out as she pulled away, her body wracked with shaking as her muscles shook and her walls squeezed him in her own release. At the same time, Shikamaru let himself go, gripping on her behind to keep himself deeply impaled in her as he coated her with his seed.

 

She collapsed on top of him shortly after, nuzzling her face on the crook of in his neck to sleep.

* * *

A yelp of surprise woke up the pair the very next morning. It sounded very familiar however, that Shikamaru just pulled away from Ino with a grunt. She pursed her lips at the empty way she felt when he pulled out. She sat up, blearily blinking out the sleepiness off her blue eyes.

 

Chouji, Ino can see from the doorway, has his hands over his eyes, unopened bag of chips on the floor forgotten for the moment. “You sick, _sick_ teammates! I feel almost betrayed.”

 

Ino tilts her head at him.

 

“Did you want to be invited?” Ino drawls from the bed, looking for something to cover herself with. She frowns when all she can find are Shikamaru’s clothes. “You could have been invited.”

 

She checked under the sheets and under the bed. Damn, she forgot to hang her clothes last night. She’d left them on the bathroom floor.

 

“No,” Shikamaru mutters from beside her, face buried in his pillow, blankets only just covering the curve of his ass. Ino bites her lip and turns away, trying hard not to stare at the long line of his back, the muscles of his shoulders. Just looking at that back made her want to kick Chouji out. But she missed him and Shikamaru wouldn’t be in the mood now anyway. “Chouji, you weren’t invited.”

 

“I didn’t _want_ to be,” Chouji whines from the doorway, hands still covering his face. For all the threesome jokes in the Teams, Ino doubted anyone had ever actually _done_ it that way. “Why am I doing this? I’ve seen you naked before Ino.”

 

A slight blush fills his pudgy cheeks at the memory of that particular mission months before the war and Ino smirks.

 

“I have no idea,” she mutters, settling for a shirt of Shikamaru’s, similar to his everyday attire. She then patted the shirt and smiled innocently up to their best friend. “And Chouji, **_I_** would have let you join.”

 

The third part of Ino-Shika-Cho’s hands drop from his face, and he begins to make his way into the room cautiously, avoiding the clutter on the floor like they were landmines, keeping his eyes everywhere but his teammates. She has no idea why he’s taking this so well, and she’s not sure she really wants to know. The redhead man stops at the end of the bed, sitting on it gingerly. He was close to them but far enough to avoid touching them.

 

“It smells like… ** _sex_** ,” he whispers, mortified, “in this room. Shikamaru, you’re just as bad as **_Kiba!_** ”

 

Groaning, Shikamaru steals the pillow she had slept on, covering his head with it. From underneath they hear a mumbled grunting. “You idiots can leave anytime now.”

 

Grinning widely, oddly pleased, Ino gathers her hair up into a pony tail, stealing one of Shikamaru’s hairbands off his bedside table.

 

“Fine. Chouji let’s go for breakfast. Maybe Shika will join us after he gets over his hissy fit.”

 

“Good-bye.” Shikamaru emphasizes as hard as he could with the pillow on his face.

 

Chouji laughs and Ino leads the way out.

* * *

Over eggs and bacon, Chouji asks, “so when did you two start seeing each other?”

 

Ino swallowed her pancakes before answering. “We aren’t.”

 

They both blinked at each other.

 

Chouji tilted his head, confused at his best friend’s answer. Ino and Shikamaru ending up together just made sense to him. He didn’t question it because it felt like a natural thing. Like they’d end up together any way they went with their lives. He’d thought it as an Academy student and his thoughts hadn’t changed since. He liked Temari-san, sure. But she couldn’t quite measure up, he had thought. It might have been an unfair judgment but for the Akimichi, there didn’t feel anything as natural in this world as Naruto and his ramen as Shikamaru _and_ Ino.

 

“What do you mean?” He asked in confusion.

 

“We aren’t dating.” Ino simply said, stealing a strip of bacon from his plate and chewing daintily.

 

“But…”

 

A nerve pulsed in Ino’s temple and Chouji shut his mouth.

 

They resumed eating.

 

Halfway through, Chouji opened his mouth to speak once more but Ino had beat him to it.

 

“I’m surprised at you, Akimichi Chouji!” Ino glared at his as she set down her fork. He smiled at her in a way that tugged at her heart. She truly could never remain angry at this man. She loved him far too much. Nonetheless, she continued, “had you not been taught by jiisan that you ought to finish your food and concentrate on it instead of bothering someone’s meal by asking mundane and nonsense questions? Are you truly an _Akimichi?_ ”

 

Chouji smiled again and, like it had been a challenge, slurped a bacon before saying, “I can always do both, you know that.”

 

Ino sighed in a defeated manner and crossed her arms.

 

Chouji nodded his head towards her to indicate her to speak and he started eating once more.

 

Ino looked away, red. “I-its… we’re… we’re just messing around, Chouji… Until we start seeing somebody else… This… isn’t serious, Chou. He’s my best friend. We’re just trying to help each other with… stress.”

 

Her voice fell as quiet as a mouse as she spoke and if it wasn’t for Chouji being ninja, he definitely wouldn’t have heard. As it was, he heard everything clearly and understood. He frowned and stood up.

 

“Ino.”

 

Ino’s eyes widened as she looked up.

 

Chouji towered massively over her, face dark and unreadable, and she felt ashamed and scared and petty.

 

He frowned and his eyes peered wide open, the way it would when he was surprised or mad. His fists curled around the pair of utensils and shook. “Don’t be stupid.”

 

Ino gaped at him. Chouji was the kind of guy who could say less about anybody, enemy or not. Never once can Ino recall a time when her heavyset friend would speak ill to her. Not once.

 

He left before Ino could say another word.

 

In her lifetime, this will also be the only time Ino will ever witness an Akimichi leave his food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I'm sorry! It's hard to find time to even write anymore and I really, really apologize. Working for Customer Service just drains me. Again, all the love, feedback and appreciation gives me love and THANK YOU! But seriously, if I had known you guys would need me to post smutty things before you actually read more ShikaIno... hahaha! Thanks again!


	4. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ino settles into this new routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while. And I apologize. Lots of things have been happening. I'm hoping to start writing again. I hope you guys still love Shikaino as I do. The New Generation is adorbs af but hey. Shikaino is my OTP.

 

_“EH?!!”_

 

Ino blushes a bright red as people turned their heads to the group of four kunoichi at the back corner of the small coffee shop. She waves her friends down as people began going back to their business and Ino sighs out loud, she tries to calm down and forces the blush off her cheeks as she grumbled under her breath, “ _Troublesome_.”

 

Tenten laughs and wipes the spilt tea on her lap with a napkin. “Okay, I believe it. He’s never rubbed off on you that much before.”

 

“ ** _Reaaaally?_** ” Sakura presses once more, leaning forward as much as she can from across the table. She can’t shove her face into Ino’s anymore, not with the huge, round belly she’d taken to sporting soon after the wedding with Uchiha Sasuke but she makes up for it by being increasingly loud and obnoxious, drawing the attention of those around them. Ino was glad Hinata wasn’t as noisy a pregnant woman as Sakura and just ogled quietly at her after their previous outburst. People stared once more. She tries to shove down the temptation to push her best friend’s face away with a hand and puts down her glass of iced tea. Sakura looks at her keenly, jade-green eyes threatening to beat the answer out of her.

 

Unimpressed, Ino leans back in the booth, arms crossed over her chest. “ ** _Yes_.** _What of it?_ ”

 

“Nothing.” Sakura shrugs a little too casually, leaning away from the table. She pulls her drink to her mouth, slurping loudly out of the straw. Beside Ino, Hinata giggles softly and innocently bites into her crepe when Ino glares at her best friend. Sakura then chews on her straw for a bit then uses it to stir the ice in her drink. She doesn’t look up for a moment and Ino crosses her legs underneath the table. Her toes are curled now because she was feeling uncomfortable under the scrutiny of her friends. Tables get turned too, she supposes. “It’s just… I _thought_ you always said screwing around with Chouji or Shikamaru would be like screwing around with brothers.”

 

She straightens up. Looking down her nose at Sakura, Ino huffs, “that was before. And it’s just screwing around. I mean, we’re _not_ serious.”

 

She bites the inside of her cheek. Sakura doesn’t understand. It doesn’t mean anything, what she and Shikamaru are doing. It’s like they just, y’know! Picked up a new hobby. Except that they were both instantly good at it and it felt immensely satisfying. Or something like that. It **wasn’t** serious!

 

Ino’s so done with fairytales. She’s grown up! Just because Sakura and Hinata got their happy ending with the Uchiha and _Naruto_ (of all people, really) doesn’t mean everyone gets to have the same life. Ino hasn’t quit on love. She’s just using her head now. She doesn’t want any more heartache from stupid men who don’t know how amazing she is. But she needed a warm body and Shikamaru was just, well… he was good at being everything Ino needed right now. That was all. **_Really._**

 

The booth is silent for a few tense moments and then Hinata shifts from her side, Tenten laughs smugly and Sakura scoffs knowingly. Ino wanted to sock their mouths so bad and instead she directs her angry attention on the cake in front of her and takes a large bite. Missions had been slow lately and she couldn’t afford destroying another shop arguing with Sakura. They were just starting to like this place and it was always so hard to find civilian establishments who weren’t too wary to serve shinobi customers. Plus Kami knows how she would die if Sasuke found out she ‘endangered’ Sakura and his child in any way. The man was a douche of the highest order but he was definitely besotten with his new wife and coming child.

 

“I’m going to quote you on that one day, you know. And you can’t blame me for it.”

 

Tenten takes a bite out of her own food and grins, saying, “yeah, really. Neji and I tried that and now look at me; a mom and married and I’m only twenty-three.” She pauses to chew her food, swallows, then says, “not that I’munhappy, but the fact remains: _friends with benefits doesn’t work_. Take it from someone with experience.”

 

Beyond annoyed now, Ino slumps in her seat, glaring at her three friends.She shouldn’t have told them this, it wasn’t doing anyone any damn good. “I’m so glad all my judge-y friends are being **_so_** helpful and supportive.”

 

Sakura narrows her eyes and opens her mouth to speak but Hinata, ever-the-motherly-angel and pacifist, beats Forehead.

 

“We’re just worried,” Hinata interjects, resting her hand over Ino’s. “We don’t want to see you hurt. We especially don’t want to see your relationship with him strained over something like this.The two of you are close friends, and if this turns out badly, you may never have a connection like that again.”

 

The Hyuuga girl’s eyes are wide, sincere and caring but Ino shrugs away, grimacing.

 

“Just make sure our parents never find out,” Ino grumbles. It was the only reason she told them the truth. She couldn’t have them asking their parents questions. The arrangement was just between her and Shikamaru. If her parents got involved… Kami, she didn’t even want to begin to think about it. For a village of quality shinobi, it seemed that secrets like hers were infuriatingly always out and abound. She had to kill sparks before they started fire. Being shinobi made them popular to civilians and that crowd can be pretty gossipy. Shinobi, whose job and daily bread depended on keeping secrets and being covert, were even worse gossipmongers.

 

The girls barely batted an eye and Ino crossed her arms again.

 

They just didn’t understand at all.

 

But this ends the discussion and after the desserts are cleared, they leave to return to the real matter at hand; shopping for Sakura and Sasuke’s baby. The girls don’t bring up the topic of her sexual life and Shikamaru for the rest of the day.

* * *

 

Ino finds herself in Shikamaru’s apartment more often than she wakes up in hers.

 

To make up for the travel time (Shikamaru grumbled it was only a three-minute run for her if she used the rooftops), she started bringing more of her things little by little and forcibly taking one of the drawers there. Every now and then she’d bring flowers to liven up the place. She took care not to bring any when missions came up because she knew the idiot wouldn’t be able to take care of her flowers. But the place definitely needed some green. Maybe she’d get him a cactus next time. One small enough for him to not mind and not kill when she was away. He was such a fussy whiny brat.

 

She brings her comforter in because Shikamaru refuses to throw his out until she sets it on fire by ‘accident’. Hers definitely was infinitely better than that stinky piece of old rag. Besides, he’d given it to her a few years back. He shouldn’t mind so much.

 

She finds herself cleaning on weekends instead of going out with other friends to look for a new boyfriend because her best friend is an honest-to-god slob. She tells herself clubbing hadn’t been fun since she became the only single girl in the old Rookie 9. It certainly wasn’t fun without Hinata to tease or Tenten to back her up or Sakura to bully. She and the others met regularly on weekly lunches anyway. And besides, too much drinking was probably bad for her age. She was still young but shinobi life is the shortest among all professions so she figured, better safe than sorry.

 

And she found more time to cook in his place! Shikamaru had better cookware than she or her mother ever had. Probably cause Yoshino got him those and her own mother wasn’t a better cook than her. She was getting better at it, too. Shikamaru was wincing less and less these days and that was a personal achievement right there. She had to bring in more dishes, though, as Shikamaru only had disposable ones. He always was such a lazy bastard. He was lucky she was so nice.

 

She buys him better curtains because he’d mindlessly got ugly ones. He said he only got them to blot out the sun when he slept in. But Ino couldn’t stand such a horrible looking piece and bought new ones anyway.

 

She stocked his fridge with real food because she couldn’t be bothered to step outside all the time for takeout. Shikamaru only had beer (for himself) and junk food (for Chouji) around. If he was hungry, he ordered food or went out as he pleased. If he thought it was too much energy consuming, he’d sleep instead to ignore the hunger. She couldn’t live like that. Just thinking about the calories and the cholesterol made her heart tighten like it was already dying.

 

Ino finds herself walking past her apartment again and heading straight to Shikamaru’s after a shift in the hospital and late training with her kids for the fifth time this week and tries to shrug it off. Shikamaru was actually on a mission right now and was due to be home two days from now but she didn’t want to go back to her place. She liked his. She tells herself its cause bed is the most comfortable thing ever. Which was true.

 

But as to why she uses Shikamaru’s shirts as she lays to sleep at night, she can’t really say.

* * *

 

Nara Shikamaru comes back a day early with minor bruises and cuts. He’d skipped the mandatory after-mission hospital visit and opted to go home to sleep right away. He finds Ino eating breakfast there and she berates at him angrily, maybe using too much force to bandage him up after the bath she had forced him to take.

 

She asks him if he wanted to heal the bruises but he says no. He tells her that he wants to have a reason to complain and not be assigned more missions so quickly. She narrows her eyes at him and sighs in a defeated manner. There was just no getting through that thick head. His team is alright, no serious injuries, he tells her when she asks, just so she would shut up. He really wanted to sleep. But instead, Ino gives him a massage with unnaturally soft (for a kunoichi), skilled and nimble fingers and hands until he falls asleep.

 

In the morning, he takes her before she even stirs awake but she doesn’t protest, welcoming him more warmly than usual, there was no teasing or smug smiles. He takes her more roughly than normal today even as his muscles ache and object. He wants her, needs his release, so he takes her fast and hard and deep and she falls over the edge with him. She doesn’t complain. She smiles brightly instead makes him coffee.

 

She leaves him soon after, to train her own genin. She leaves in her wake the smell of the freshly brewed coffee, their coupling, tainted with her own scent, almost overpowering the rest. She leaves him with a gentle pat on his cheek and a promise of dinner for later.

 

Even with every cell in his body telling him no, Shikamaru asks for another mission in the Hokage’s office an hour later.

* * *

 

Shikamaru scowls at himself in the mirror, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, lips foaming with toothpaste. In the shower behind him, Ino hums a mindless tune.

 

There are bruises on his torso and arms, ones that have turned from a dark purple to a mottledgreen. He likes that they haven’t faded completely, not since his mission a week ago, and he likesthe twinge of pain he still gets when he presses on them. He is a man, after all. And these are reminders that he’s alive for another day. Sometimes, they all need reminders.

 

He doesn’t like the way Ino frowns, lips turning down in a pout every time she sees them. He doesn’t like the kisses she leaves on them, hard enough to tingle. He doesn’t like that he lets her off without a word. He doesn’t like that she caresbecause this wasn’t supposed to be about caring, this wasn’t supposed to happen more than once. He doesn’t like this at all.

 

It’s ruining his plans and it’s becoming far too troublesome.

 

Spitting into the sink, Shikamaru rinses his mouth out, ignoring Ino’s yelp when the water’s temperature changes.

 

He gets the mission he asks for today and he doesn’t tell her. He leaves with his team without saying goodbye and Ino finds out about the mission the morning after she had woken up from a late night of waiting for him to come home. He doesn’t come back for a long time.


	5. Don't Deny It

It was a very long C-class mission. Even now Shikamaru regrets having asked for it. But it did provide him what he wanted. Right now, however, all he needs is to get the kids to the hospital and then drop as quickly as possible to the Hokage's office then sleep like the dead for maybe a week or two. Or maybe a few years.

His genin, normally so enthusiastic about having a job well done, are definitely thinking the same lines as he is. In fact, Yuu was already flat on his back the moment they stepped through the gates. It wasn't because of any injuries that they had sustained, as he was still able to proclaim that he would never leave the Village again in a loud voice.

Haruka and Sayo look like they are just about ready to join their teammate and kiss the dusty ground good night. Shikamaru would join them, but then it would be a pain in the ass when they woke up with hurting backs. And it would look bad for him, given that he was their jounin sensei. Plus, they've all had it with sleeping outside for a while anyway. They needed to get home. Shikamaru thinks about his own bed and his shoulders slump.

Shikamaru lets out a tired sigh. Troublesome, the lot of them. But he was proud of them having come out of the mission in one piece. Bloody, broken and bruised, but in one piece. And none of them showed signs of any mental or emotional trauma just yet from having gone through an ambush and going through their first kills. Shikamaru will take that as a win any day.

"C'mon, let's get you guys all patched up," he tells them. "The sooner you guys get checked, the sooner I can get some sleep. I'll just do the report myself tomorrow. If I even wake up."

There is a chorus of exhausted cheer from the twelve year olds. They even forget to berate him for his laziness like they usually would.

Haruka helps Yuu up and slings his teammates' arm around his neck and helps him walk. The two boys let Sayo lead the way to the hospital as their sensei make up the rear. The Village is already falling into a quiet summer night. Even though people were still milling about to enjoy the comfort brought in by the night's chill after a hot day, it was all peaceful. The further into the Village they get, the less guarded the genin were. Shikamaru should tell them off for that as attacks could happen even inside their own homes. But really, him? Tell them off? He barely spent a minute to set up traps and wards around his apartment.

They pass downtown fairly quickly enough but they still see the decorations for the upcoming festival. True kids themselves, the genin gape in awe and forgetting injuries, begin to talk about hoping to attend. They are young and alive, reckless and unburdened. So they are quick to make plans. All genin agree on going, if given the chance.

"Shikamaru-sensei!" Sayo beamed, walking backwards to face them as she spoke. "We should all go together!"

Shikamaru considers the childish innocence in their faces and shrugs, "why not."

The genin, still too tired to properly cheer, are elated and grins smack across their tired faces. Somehow that makes it worth being dragged around in the nearby future. Shikamaru could huff. He was becoming a sap.

"Oh! We could invite Team Twelve to go with us!"

Haruka's face colors a deep red and they all see, despite the darkness. Yuu laughs and grins cheekily.

"We should!" Yuu agrees with mischief dancing in his eyes,"so Haruka could ask Mei out! And I get to see Ino-sensei!"

Shikamaru frowns a little at this. Ten minutes into the Village and the harpy is already there. It's like one genin and every team would have a crush on his former teammate. He just couldn't avoid her for one night, huh?

"Don't be stupid, Yuu," Sayo teases and they all look at their sensei. "Ino-sensei is Shikamaru-sensei's girlfriend! She won't notice you. You're too small."

"And you're an Amazon!"

They start bickering now, about how one is too short and the other too tall. There were also faint mumblings of how there was nothing between his person and Mei from Team 12. Shikamaru normally ignores this until it gets too loud to think. But this time, all he can think of is how his students think Ino is his girlfriend. It bothers him because she isn't. Where in Kami's name would they even pick up that idea.

* * *

Slipping into the apartment as quietly as he can, Shikamaru lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He hadn’t been sure he could make it home on his own, the exhaustion has seeped down to his very bones, especially after escorting his three genin back to their houses. They had been beat up pretty badly, but nothing had been broken and the medic-nin at the hospital had said nothing about internal bleeding. It could only be a good sign that they could start training again in the next couple of days. They were certainly happy about the high chances of getting to go to the festival if they would have no missions by then.

It had been a rough mission to begin with. They had spent over a month helping rebuild a flooded town down south almost all by themselves. And it hadn’t helped that they’d been ambushed on their way back. The rogue ninja were jounin level or higher and he and his team had barely gotten by. But they did pull through, by some miracle. Their teamwork was just about flawless and their first kills had allowed them to live. He was still grateful for the fact that none of them seemed to caught up about it. That could be a cause of concern for another day, but he'd cross the bridge when he got there.

Now, as he inhales the faint smell of takeout and listens to the quiet sounds of his partment, he allows himself to finally relax, to allow himself to yawn. Nothing had changed since he’d been gone, and all he wants to do is shower and climb into his bed and sleep for the next five years.

He showers quickly, accidentally using the  girly shampoo Ino had left at his house and scowling because it made him smell like vanilla. A part of him regrets allowing her to leave her things at his house, regrets giving her the top drawer of his dresser, but another part, louder than the first, loves it. He likes coming home to little touches of her around his apartment, he likes having a key to her apartment. He likes the idea of coming home every day and having dinner with her, crawling into bed with her. But both trains of thought are too troublesome to worry about, so he locks them away and finished rinsing himself off, eager to get to bed.

When he makes his way into his bed, he already knows what he’ll find. Her shoes had been in the hallway after all. Her jacket slung over the only chair he could fit in the apartment. And he had seen the covers moving in time with her breathing when he came in.

Ino is spread out across the bed, mouth open and drooling unattractively. She manages to take up all the space, despite the bed's size. Her hair is loose and covers both pillows on the bed, and for some reason, the unattractiveness of the whole picture makes his stomach clench and something warm squeeze his heart. How girly, he can hear his friends sneering. _You’re such a pansy, Shika_.

Tugging on a pair of briefs, Shikamaru debates how to go about slipping into his own bed. He should have known she would be here when he got back, she’d taken to doing this whenever he went away on missions, hell, she’d begun to sleep over without asking years ago, though they had never engaged in anything other than really awkward cuddling that made the next morning almost unbearable, but it had completely slipped his mind. Maybe he did need to put more energy into being aware. His mom would be so ashamed of him.

He could always wake her, slip into bed and shove her far enough away that he was comfortable. Sure, he would have to deal with the silent treatment for a few minutes, but she would warm right up to him when he moved closer, resting his arm over her waist.

Or he could slip into bed and hope she’d unconsciously move away, taking her snoring and drooling to the other side of the bed.

Running a hand through his hair, Shikamaru sighs, sliding onto the bed and touching her shoulder. “Ino, hey, wake up.”

“Mmpf, go’way,” she mutters, burying her face into his pillow, smearing drool across her eyebrow and making it stick up. He smirked.

“You’re the one taking up all of my bed.”

She blinks awake slowly, eyes heavy, mouth slack. “Shik’maru?”

“Move over," he whispers insistently. Finally she opens her eyes wide this time. More aware. Her eyes are turquoise. Haunting and deep despite the lightness of the color. He blinks back at her.

“Shika _maru_ ,” Ino sighs, gaining control of her motor functions. She rolls away, latching onto his hand and pulling him down beside her. She rolls until his arm is secure behind her back, their faces close but not touching. If he inhales too strongly, he can smell the slight sourness of her breath. “I missed you,” she murmurs, closing the distance and pressing her mouth against his, lips closed. He returns the kiss instinctually, blinking when she pulls back and presses her face to his neck, wiggling her nose when his damp hair tickles her face. “You smell like me.”

There is a trace of a faint smile against his neck. It leaves that part of his skin burning and he is upset. He is upset and feels like he's somehow lost his footing. So he doesn’t reply. He doesn’t think he can. This is…it has gotten way out of hand, dammit. When they had started all of this they had made sure that there would be no strings attached, that it was purely sex, working off stress. This would in no way evolve into romantic feelings, and yet—  
She snorts softly against his neck, already fallen back asleep. Shikamaru closes his eyes, but he doesn’t fall asleep for a very long time.

* * *

Ino is already gone before he wakes up. But she has left him breakfast by the bed. Eggs, muffins and some bacon. They looked pretty edible at first glance. They were no longer warm and the orange juice has gone stale. The egg were runny and the muffins were a little too dry. The bacon, as always, is a little charred. But he eats them all in silence until they are gone.

Shikamaru uncharacteristically washes the dishes and leaves the apartment right away. He is still sleepy and his body is still aching. It is too hot outside, with the summer sun directly high up in the sky. But he leaves anyway. He leaves because he cannot stay there. His senses are on fire. He leaves because everywhere, every surface, nook and cranny, and even the very air itself, Ino lingered.

* * *

The sex was still amazing. Ino doesn't let up. And Shikamaru is always suprisingly dominant. And every night they were both together in the Village, they made up for lost time.

The bed's spring creak and protest as Shikamaru pushes Ino onto her stomach, pulls on her ponytail that was wrapped in one hand. He forces himself inside her once more before he uses his free hand to tilt her head sideways. Shikamaru bites and sucks on her neck as he proceeds to thrust into her with wild abandon. It is a good feeling, to be able to see such a primitive side of Shikamaru and knowing it's lust that fueled him to this. Lust for her. She feels beautiful and desirable under his touch and dark gaze. He feels needed, wanted and grounded with her spread out for him. It was perhaps ego boosters that started this. They always did compliment each other nicely. And now, they complimented each other physically.

Ino is practically screaming her moans if she wasn't muffled by Shikamaru's hand. He is going too fast and too had and all she can do is writhe this way and that to end the ride with him. She can tell he is losing control with how he slips from time to time. It only serves him to be rougher after. She could never complain. Not when he gave it to her good.

He lets go after a while and his hands grab her waist as he sits up. He thrusts deeper now, but slower and steadier. Ino is keening and mewling loud as he moves his cock in and out of her needy pussy. She is wet and they will have to change the bedspread again come tomorrow.

"Kami, Shika, you're so good! So fucking amazing! Oh Kami!" she gasps out as she looks back at him. "Oh fuck me, fuck me, fuck me! Fuck my pussy, Shika! You like fucking my cunt, right? You want to cum inside, right? _Fuck me!_ "

He grunts and grits his teeth, his hair swinging wildly with his angry thrusts. She's tight and wet around him, every thing he needed and everything he didn't want to know he could have. She's right. He wants to fuck her senseless, violate her and paint her with his cum. He wants her.

He screws his eyes shut and avoids looking back at her.

She is clenching her walls around him right now, the ripples strangling his cock as he tries to pull out. He's close, oh so close. Ino knows this and whimpers as she forces herself up. They disconnect and it aches to feel that emptiness being away from his thickness brings. She wasn't having that. Ino pushes him down on his back and she grips him in  her hand. She takes him in her mouth and moans. She blows him until she can no longer taste herself on him and he is reaching for her. She climbs on him and guides him inside her again, sighing at the fullness he brings.

She presses herself against him, moving only her hips. His hands clutch on her ass, helping her create the rhythm. Ino wraps her arms around Shikamaru's head, relishing the feel of his hair against her skin and inhales in the scent of their lovemaking. She meets his erratic movement with sensual rotations and is rewarded with a bruising grasp as he finds his climax deep in her.

His cum spurts and coats her walls, bringing a sticky and wet warmth that fills her up. The feeling wells up within her and his member twitches and jerks inside her. The thought of Shikamaru's white hot cum plastered inside her, pouring out because of how much he gives out, finding no place inside her makes her orgasm. She shivers and quakes on top of Shikamaru until the feeling passes. They make no move to untangle themselves from each other and fall asleep like this.

Ino's dreams sated and sweet. But Shikamaru is plagued by frustration and annoyance.

* * *

 

They wake up only because someone has been knocking nonstop. Shikamaru pulls away from Ino and she winces. They have got to stop sleeping that way. She plucks his shirt from the ground and makes her way to the door, bleary eyed but ready to unleash her wrath to anyone who dared disturb them this morning.

She opens the door and before she could unleash said wrath, an ANBU officer in a Raven mask greets her in an all professional manner, not even giving any care that she was still practically naked and that Shikamaru can be seen in bed, nude as the day he was born. Ino almost gives out a squeal and sheepishly hides behind the door to cover both of them.

"Aaa, Shikamaru! Someone at the door for you! Honestly, you should be up now. You can't expect me to come wake you up every day!" Ino tries to laugh it off, knowing the ANBU officer wouldn't buy it one bit. If shinobi were bad at keeping secrets at home, they also stopped being good liars once back in the Village. It was almost pathetic.

Shikamaru looks up and almost falls off the bed as he tries to cover himself up. Raven doesn't even flinch.

"You are being summoned," Raven holds out a scroll towards Ino instead of Shikamaru's way. He disappears with a hand seal and a flurry of leaves, leaving Ino to close the door absently. The Hokage knows they were sleeping together if she knew where to send the ANBU to find her. Scratch that, of course they would know! So how come her father and her uncle haven't burned everything down in the Village yet?

She doesn't know what to think about that right now and simply focuses on opening the scroll. She bites on her thumb roughly and blood wells up. She uses this to break the seal on the scroll and starts to read the briefing. It takes her about a minute and by then, Shikamaru has finally pulled himself off the floor, dignity a little shaken but still in tact.

Ino is already rushing about, getting dressed and gathering her gear. She throws his shirt to him and when he has looks up, she is already dressed and tying her hair. She is perfect and all set. Shikamaru's breath is caught in his throat as he watches her put on lip gloss in front of the small mirror. The lights filtered by the blinds give him little to see with but she is still heartbreakingly beautiful. This leaves him angry and confused. He puts on his shirt with more difficulty than usual.

She is ready to head out but skips back to him and places a quick kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you after the mission, mmkay?"

She is gone before it registers that he is falling in love with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if it's a little short. This was done while I was working and so I didn't even edit it. Might someday. But my goal is to be able to finish the story before their birthdays come up. Shikaino love y'all!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, reviews and love are much appreciated


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